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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 116 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: bulb · drill · swing · content · club · degree · pound · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. drill — a practice
  3. pound — a weight
  4. drill — the tool
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. drill — army training
  8. degree — an amount
  9. swing — music
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. cap — of ice
  12. content — happy
  13. content — the amount
  14. club — a group
  15. bulb — for light
  16. degree — temperature
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — for golf
  19. degree — from a university
  20. cap — a hat
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bulb — for light
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — to play on

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