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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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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 · bowl · last · bear · perch · club · arm · board

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. last — final
  4. board — to get on
  5. last — finally
  6. board — a committee
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. net — in sport
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. net — after costs
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. club — for golf
  15. net — for catching
  16. last — to go on
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. club — a group
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bear — the animal
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. perch — the fish

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