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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: nail · clip · current · kid · mug · pitcher · bulb · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. kid — child
  4. clip — a video
  5. bulb — for light
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. kid — to tease
  10. current — electric
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. clip — to cut
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. current — of water
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — to rob
  17. can — to be able to
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. clip — for paper
  22. current — happening now
  23. mug — a face
  24. nail — for a hammer

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