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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: content · hand · branch · fine · bulb · game · saw · current

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. fine — high quality
  3. saw — the tool
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — a division
  6. hand — in cards
  7. fine — all right
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. content — happy
  10. bulb — for light
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. content — the amount
  14. current — of water
  15. game — wild animals
  16. current — happening now
  17. hand — help
  18. game — a match
  19. current — electric
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bulb — for light
  24. content — videos and posts

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