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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: pop · mug · staff · fan · current · tube · branch · bulb

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bulb — for light
  3. staff — employees
  4. current — electric
  5. mug — to rob
  6. tube — the underground
  7. current — happening now
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mug — a face
  10. tube — a container
  11. pop — music
  12. staff — a stick
  13. current — of water
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. pop — to visit
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pop — soda
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. staff — employees
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mug — a cup

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