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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 120 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.

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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 · lash · pass · capital · club · cabinet · perch · ruler

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. net — after costs
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — for golf
  6. perch — the fish
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. net — for catching
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — a city
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. club — a group
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pass — a permit
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. net — in sport
  23. capital — money
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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