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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: bulb · perch · can · hand · rush · current · file · jam

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. current — happening now
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. file — a document
  5. hand — help
  6. perch — the fish
  7. current — electric
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. file — a tool
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bulb — for light
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. current — of water
  14. hand — in cards
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. file — a line of people
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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