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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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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: fork · racket · wake · current · rash · bowl · wax · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. current — happening now
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fork — in a road
  9. current — of water
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. stand — to bear
  15. wax — to grow
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — hasty
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — a trail
  20. current — electric
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. rash — a series
  24. bowl — a dish

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