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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: cabinet · club · net · deal · perch · mouse · sharp · bark

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. net — in sport
  4. deal — to handle
  5. club — for golf
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. net — after costs
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. perch — the fish
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. club — a group
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. net — for catching
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bark — to shout

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