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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 120 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 · cap · court · kid · bulb · fan · cabinet · temple

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bulb — for light
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. cap — a lid
  6. kid — child
  7. degree — temperature
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. court — of a king
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. court — of law
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. kid — to tease
  17. cap — a hat
  18. degree — an amount
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bulb — for light
  21. court — for sport
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. degree — from a university
  24. cap — of ice

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