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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.

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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: bear · sharp · perch · wind · ball · board · fine · hand

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. hand — help
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. hand — in cards
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wind — moving air
  12. board — a committee
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bear — the animal
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — clever
  17. board — to get on
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fine — all right
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wind — to turn a key

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