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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: rash · content · cue · pitcher · current · bulb · perch · branch

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. current — electric
  4. cue — a signal
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bulb — for light
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. current — happening now
  12. content — happy
  13. rash — a series
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. content — the amount
  16. cue — for pool
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bulb — for light
  19. current — of water
  20. cue — a hint
  21. branch — a division
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rash — hasty
  24. perch — for a bird

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