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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: branch · fine · current · court · board · wake · pit · lash

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pit — a hole
  5. fine — all right
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. court — of law
  11. court — of a king
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. court — for sport
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. current — electric
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pit — in a race
  20. current — of water
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a committee
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. fine — high quality

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