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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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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: net · bulb · cue · shower · cap · stick · current · branch

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cap — a lid
  7. shower — to wash
  8. cue — a signal
  9. current — happening now
  10. net — after costs
  11. cap — a hat
  12. branch — a division
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cue — a hint
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cap — of ice
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bulb — for light
  22. current — electric
  23. bulb — for light
  24. current — of water

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