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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 · net · bore · season · deal · stem · track · board

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a song
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. net — for catching
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bore — to tire
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bore — to drill
  15. season — of the year
  16. deal — to handle
  17. current — happening now
  18. net — after costs
  19. current — electric
  20. season — in sport
  21. current — of water
  22. net — in sport
  23. track — a path
  24. board — to get on

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