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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 · bulb · fork · pass · cabinet · clip · sharp · prune

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. current — electric
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. prune — to trim
  10. sharp — clever
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. clip — for paper
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bulb — for light
  16. clip — to cut
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bulb — for light
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. clip — a video

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