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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: current · bear · lean · wake · track · board · scale · stem

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. current — of water
  3. scale — in music
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. board — to get on
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. board — a committee
  12. lean — to bend
  13. track — to keep track
  14. wake — a trail
  15. track — a path
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. current — happening now
  19. scale — size or range
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. stem — to come from
  23. current — electric
  24. stem — of a plant

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