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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. current — electric
  3. bank — for money
  4. file — a tool
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. scale — in music
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bank — for money
  12. current — happening now
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bank — of a river
  18. scale — size or range
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bulb — for light
  21. current — of water
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. kick — in football
  24. file — a document

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