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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pass — a permit
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. cap — of ice
  9. can — to be able to
  10. degree — an amount
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. can — a tin
  13. degree — temperature
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. cap — a lid
  17. net — for catching
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. can — a tin
  20. dip — to sink
  21. degree — from a university
  22. game — a match
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — after costs

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