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

Word bank: mine · pass · degree · ruler · wake · cap · dip · bay

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. degree — an amount
  3. pass — a permit
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — a hat
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. wake — a trail
  18. degree — from a university
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. mine — for digging

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