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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 120 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: current · ground · bore · stem · mine · scale · net · lean

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. 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. scale — for weighing
  2. current — happening now
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. ground — the earth
  5. scale — size or range
  6. net — in sport
  7. lean — thin
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bore — to tire
  10. current — of water
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. scale — in music
  13. net — after costs
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. stem — to come from
  17. net — for catching
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. current — electric
  20. lean — to bend
  21. mine — for digging
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — crushed
  24. 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