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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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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: rock · current · dip · roll · arm · wind · board · stock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. roll — a list
  5. rock — music
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. roll — a cake
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rock — a stone
  11. current — electric
  12. wind — moving air
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. board — a committee
  16. stock — goods
  17. current — of water
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. board — to get on
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. current — happening now

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