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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: net · suit · current · board · stem · bore · scale · cold

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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. scale — size or range
  4. cold — an illness
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. suit — to fit
  8. net — after costs
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bore — to tire
  11. suit — clothes
  12. scale — in music
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — for catching
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bore — to drill
  19. board — a committee
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — to come from
  24. suit — in cards

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