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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
468
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: roll · face · degree · content · craft · dip · club · bulb

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. roll — a list
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. face — to confront
  5. bulb — for light
  6. craft — boats
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. face — to point toward
  10. dip — to sink
  11. club — for golf
  12. face — part of the head
  13. degree — from a university
  14. roll — a cake
  15. content — happy
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bulb — for light
  18. craft — a skill
  19. degree — temperature
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. club — a group
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. degree — an 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