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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.

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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: perch · ground · ruler · key · cell · wave · board · bark

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cell — a phone
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cell — in biology
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. perch — the fish
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. ground — crushed
  11. board — a committee
  12. ground — the earth
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bark — to shout
  15. key — in music
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. board — to get on
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ground — a position
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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