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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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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 · content · cabinet · degree · stick · cap · bay · club

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. cap — a hat
  8. degree — from a university
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — for golf
  11. cap — a lid
  12. degree — temperature
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. cap — of ice
  20. content — happy
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. club — a group
  23. degree — an amount
  24. content — the amount

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