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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: degree · bowl · fork · arm · board · wake · lash · current

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — in a road
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. degree — temperature
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. board — a committee
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. wake — a trail
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. current — electric
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. degree — an amount
  24. board — to get on

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