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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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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: cap · chip · rush · jam · degree · pitch

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. degree — from a university
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. degree — an amount
  6. cap — a hat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. degree — temperature
  9. pitch — completely
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. chip — to eat
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. rush — hurry
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. cap — a lid
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. rush — to hurry

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