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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: land · mug · straw · bulb · current · ground · deal · branch

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bulb — for light
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. land — a country
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — crushed
  12. land — ground
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. branch — a division
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. land — to come down
  19. ground — a position
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. current — of water
  22. mug — a cup
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. mug — a face

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