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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: bark · net · board · bore · dip · cabinet · current · band

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — electric
  3. bore — to drill
  4. board — a committee
  5. band — a music group
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. net — in sport
  12. bark — to shout
  13. band — a ring
  14. current — happening now
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. net — after costs
  17. dip — to sink
  18. board — to get on
  19. bore — to tire
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. net — for catching
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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