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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: cap · bark · pop · dip · board · nail · club · degree

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. degree — temperature
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cap — of ice
  5. club — a group
  6. degree — from a university
  7. board — to get on
  8. cap — a hat
  9. board — a committee
  10. pop — to visit
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. dip — to sink
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pop — soda
  17. cap — a lid
  18. club — for golf
  19. bark — to shout
  20. degree — an amount
  21. club — for dancing
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pop — music

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