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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stock · wave · straw · board · perch · key · pop · bark

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bark — to shout
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pop — soda
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. stock — shares
  12. key — for a lock
  13. pop — to visit
  14. board — a committee
  15. stock — goods
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. key — in music
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pop — music
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. stock — a soup base

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