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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: board · wake · current · hand · bay · race · fork · shower

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. shower — to wash
  4. race — the arms race
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. board — a committee
  11. hand — help
  12. current — happening now
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. current — electric
  16. board — to get on
  17. shower — rain
  18. race — humankind
  19. hand — in cards
  20. fork — in a road
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. current — of water
  24. race — a contest

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