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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: dip · bulb · pass · fine · current · branch · kid · cue

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. current — happening now
  5. cue — for pool
  6. current — of water
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. branch — a division
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bulb — for light
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. kid — to tease
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. current — electric
  21. pass — a permit
  22. cue — a signal
  23. dip — to sink
  24. cue — a hint

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