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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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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: race · stem · lean · current · bulb · court · bore · board

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. lean — to bend
  3. race — the arms race
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. current — happening now
  7. court — for sport
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — humankind
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. court — of a king
  18. lean — thin
  19. stem — to come from
  20. current — of water
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. current — electric

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