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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · face · cap · craft · degree · bowl · tube · rock

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. degree — from a university
  3. rock — music
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. tube — a container
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bulb — for light
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. face — part of the head
  10. craft — boats
  11. cap — a lid
  12. face — to confront
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bulb — for light
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. cap — a hat
  19. degree — temperature
  20. degree — an amount
  21. craft — a skill
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. tube — in a tire

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