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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 120 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: scale · fan · mouse · board · bulb · snap · cabinet · capital

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. scale — size or range
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. scale — in music
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. board — to get on
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. board — a committee
  23. bulb — for light
  24. capital — money

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