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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 116 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: bulb · mouse · fan · current · press · snap · capital · ground

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — crushed
  4. press — a publisher
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. ground — the earth
  8. capital — a city
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. press — newspapers
  13. current — happening now
  14. bulb — for light
  15. snap — to click
  16. capital — money
  17. current — of water
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bulb — for light
  20. current — electric
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. press — to push
  24. capital — a big letter

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