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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: ground · board · cap · stock · wound · perch · calf · straw

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. board — to get on
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a hat
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. ground — crushed
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. ground — a position
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. board — a committee
  24. perch — the fish

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