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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.

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 · prune · sharp · racket · bass · perch · spell · board

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. perch — the fish
  3. spell — letters
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. spell — a short time
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bass — the fish
  9. board — to get on
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — clever
  14. net — for catching
  15. prune — to trim
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. board — a committee
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. spell — magic

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