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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: cabinet · bulb · net · clip · scale · rule · perch · can

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. rule — government
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bulb — for light
  5. net — after costs
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. perch — the fish
  8. clip — a video
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rule — a law
  11. scale — in music
  12. net — in sport
  13. scale — size or range
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. net — for catching
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bulb — for light
  22. can — a tin
  23. clip — for paper
  24. can — a tin

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