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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: saw · current · vault · club · craft · file · bulb · clip

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bulb — for light
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. current — of water
  5. club — for dancing
  6. current — happening now
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. clip — a video
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a tool
  15. vault — a safe
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. clip — to cut
  18. file — a document
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. saw — the tool
  21. club — for golf
  22. current — electric
  23. saw — the tool
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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