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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 · perch · stem · track · current · chest · bulb · branch

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. branch — a division
  4. chest — of your body
  5. net — after costs
  6. current — happening now
  7. track — a song
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. net — in sport
  11. track — a path
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bulb — for light
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. track — to keep track
  16. net — for catching
  17. bulb — for light
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. current — of water
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. current — electric
  24. stem — to come from

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