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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 · roll · mark · branch · march · bulb · mouse · clip

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. march — the month
  3. clip — a video
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. march — the month
  7. bulb — for light
  8. current — happening now
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. current — electric
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mark — a grade
  14. current — of water
  15. clip — for paper
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. roll — a cake
  20. mark — a trace
  21. march — music
  22. roll — a list
  23. branch — a division
  24. clip — to cut

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