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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
468
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 · bulb · swing · arm · saw · mouse · coach

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. swing — music
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — temperature
  5. cap — a lid
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. swing — in golf
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cap — of ice
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. degree — an amount

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