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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.

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: fork · lean · bass · club · clip · net · perch · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. net — after costs
  4. perch — the fish
  5. club — a group
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. clip — a video
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. net — for catching
  10. clip — to cut
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. clip — for paper
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. net — in sport
  16. bass — low music
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. club — for dancing
  19. lean — thin
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. lean — to bend
  22. board — to get on
  23. bass — the fish
  24. club — for golf

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