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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: degree · land · bulb · pit · bowl · dip · craft · cap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cap — a lid
  5. pit — a hole
  6. land — a country
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bulb — for light
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — boats
  14. degree — an amount
  15. cap — a hat
  16. degree — temperature
  17. land — to come down
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. craft — a skill
  20. dip — to sink
  21. land — ground
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. pit — in a race
  24. dip — to dunk

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