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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 · content · current · stick · bulb · press · scale · spell

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. spell — magic
  6. content — the amount
  7. spell — letters
  8. current — of water
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. content — happy
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. press — to push
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spell — a short time
  19. current — happening now
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. current — electric
  23. press — a publisher
  24. cabinet — ministers

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