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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: capital · cap · scale · rash · bulb · mouse · cabinet · stock

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bulb — for light
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cap — a hat
  6. capital — money
  7. cap — a lid
  8. rash — hasty
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. cap — of ice
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — goods
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. capital — a city
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — a series
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bulb — of a plant

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