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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: board · net · pound · game · perch · last · row · bank

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. net — after costs
  3. board — to get on
  4. last — finally
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. row — a line
  7. last — final
  8. bank — of a river
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bank — for money
  11. net — in sport
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. board — a committee
  18. game — wild animals
  19. last — to go on
  20. row — to paddle
  21. net — for catching
  22. bank — for money
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. pound — a weight

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