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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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468
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 · bulb · bowl · current · clip · file · dip · track

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. file — a document
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. track — a song
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. saw — the tool
  8. track — a path
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. file — a tool
  11. clip — to cut
  12. dip — to sink
  13. current — happening now
  14. track — to keep track
  15. current — electric
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. current — of water
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. file — a line of people
  23. dip — a sauce
  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