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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 116 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: bass · current · net · mate · stem · bore

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bass — low music
  3. net — for catching
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bass — the fish
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. current — electric
  8. current — happening now
  9. net — in sport
  10. mate — a partner
  11. stem — to come from
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. current — of water
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bore — to drill

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