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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: can · branch · bulb · pop · pit · stick · file · rock

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bulb — for light
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pop — soda
  7. can — to be able to
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. rock — music
  11. pit — a hole
  12. file — a document
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pop — music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rock — a stone
  19. pop — to visit
  20. file — a tool
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. can — a tin

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