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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: bark · perch · game · bulb · object · net · capital · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. capital — a city
  3. bark — to shout
  4. object — an aim
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. net — for catching
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. capital — money
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bulb — for light
  13. object — a thing
  14. swing — music
  15. net — in sport
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. net — after costs
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. object — to protest
  23. bulb — for light
  24. game — a match

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