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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: club · net · perch · sharp · swing · board · degree · craft

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. club — for golf
  4. craft — a skill
  5. degree — an amount
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. swing — music
  8. board — a committee
  9. net — for catching
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. swing — in golf
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. net — in sport
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. club — a group
  16. perch — the fish
  17. club — for dancing
  18. swing — to play on
  19. craft — boats
  20. degree — from a university
  21. board — to get on
  22. degree — temperature
  23. sharp — clever
  24. net — after costs

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