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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
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: arm · current · straw · degree · bank · rock · board · squash

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. board — a committee
  3. current — electric
  4. degree — from a university
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. degree — temperature
  8. squash — the sport
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. current — of water
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. squash — to crush
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. rock — a stone
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. board — to get on
  20. rock — music
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. current — happening now
  24. bank — for money

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