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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. vault — a safe
  7. degree — an amount
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. court — for sport
  14. cap — a lid
  15. court — of a king
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. chip — to eat
  19. pit — in a race
  20. court — of law
  21. cap — of ice
  22. chip — for betting
  23. degree — from a university
  24. chip — in a computer

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