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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: row · pop · content · bowl · degree · cap · dip · spring

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. cap — of ice
  4. row — to paddle
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. degree — from a university
  9. cap — a hat
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. pop — soda
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. row — a line
  16. pop — music
  17. spring — the season
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. content — happy
  21. degree — an amount
  22. pop — to visit
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. spring — of water

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