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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: current · craft · object · clip · charge · bulb · pit · branch

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. clip — for paper
  3. charge — in control
  4. craft — a skill
  5. current — happening now
  6. pit — a hole
  7. clip — to cut
  8. current — of water
  9. object — to protest
  10. current — electric
  11. object — an aim
  12. charge — a price
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. charge — electricity
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. clip — a video
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. object — a thing
  22. bulb — for light
  23. craft — boats
  24. pit — in a race

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