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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.

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 · dip · craft · bark · bulb · key · capital

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. capital — money
  3. craft — a skill
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. cap — a hat
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. key — in music
  14. craft — boats
  15. degree — temperature
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. degree — from a university
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bark — to shout
  20. cap — of ice
  21. capital — a city
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — to sink
  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