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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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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: calf · net · race · current · bank · fork · stand · wind

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wind — moving air
  4. fork — in a road
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bank — for money
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. current — of water
  10. race — humankind
  11. net — for catching
  12. race — a contest
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bank — for money
  15. current — happening now
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. race — the arms race
  24. current — electric

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