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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.

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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. cap — a lid
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pass — a permit
  8. key — for a lock
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rest — a break
  12. degree — temperature
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. key — the most important part
  16. ground — a position
  17. key — in music
  18. cap — a hat
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. rest — what's left
  23. degree — from a university
  24. rest — what's left

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