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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · perch · snap · capital · net · board · bass · object

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. object — a thing
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. capital — a city
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. object — an aim
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. snap — to click
  14. net — after costs
  15. perch — the fish
  16. board — to get on
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bass — the fish
  19. net — for catching
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. board — a committee
  22. bass — low music
  23. net — in sport
  24. object — to protest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com