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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: net · game · board · drill · club · perch · mate · bear

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. board — a committee
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. club — for golf
  6. mate — to breed
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. net — for catching
  9. mate — a partner
  10. board — to get on
  11. game — wild animals
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bear — the animal
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. drill — army training
  16. perch — the fish
  17. club — for dancing
  18. net — after costs
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. mate — a friend
  21. club — a group
  22. net — in sport
  23. bear — the animal
  24. game — a match

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