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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
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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: sharp · net · perch · board · mug · mine · bulb · field

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mug — a face
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. board — a committee
  7. mug — a cup
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. board — to get on
  10. field — a subject
  11. bulb — for light
  12. perch — the fish
  13. mug — to rob
  14. net — after costs
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. net — for catching
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. field — for sport
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. field — farmland
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. sharp — clever

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