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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: field · mouse · current · jam · straw · branch · pit · bulb

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. current — of water
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. field — a subject
  6. current — electric
  7. bulb — for light
  8. current — happening now
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bulb — for light
  15. field — for sport
  16. pit — a hole
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. field — farmland
  21. pit — in a race
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. branch — of a tree

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