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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: stick · roll · current · board · game · chest · track · fork

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. current — electric
  3. game — a match
  4. chest — a box
  5. current — of water
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. track — a path
  10. game — wild animals
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. board — a committee
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. current — happening now
  18. track — to keep track
  19. roll — a list
  20. fork — in a road
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. roll — a cake
  24. track — a song

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