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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bank — for money
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. chip — to eat
  13. cap — a lid
  14. game — wild animals
  15. degree — an amount
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. chip — for betting
  20. degree — temperature
  21. game — a match
  22. degree — from a university
  23. cap — of ice
  24. game — a kind of play

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