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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: ball · pop · current · cue · branch · kid · drill · bulb

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bulb — for light
  6. current — of water
  7. drill — a practice
  8. cue — for pool
  9. ball — a dance
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. pop — soda
  13. kid — child
  14. cue — a signal
  15. branch — a division
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cue — a hint
  18. drill — army training
  19. current — happening now
  20. pop — music
  21. current — electric
  22. drill — the tool
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. ball — a round shape

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