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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 116 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 · wake · stand · club · lean · net · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. lean — to bend
  4. current — of water
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bear — the animal
  8. net — in sport
  9. club — for dancing
  10. net — after costs
  11. board — to get on
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bear — the animal
  14. club — a group
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. net — for catching
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. lean — thin
  20. club — for golf
  21. current — happening now
  22. board — a committee
  23. stand — to bear
  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