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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: bowl · kid · tube · pop · object · craft · degree · bulb

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. kid — to tease
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — a thing
  7. craft — a skill
  8. object — to protest
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bulb — for light
  11. degree — from a university
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. degree — an amount
  14. pop — soda
  15. kid — child
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. tube — the underground
  20. craft — boats
  21. pop — music
  22. tube — a container
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. pop — to visit

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