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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 120 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: bear · can · pit · cap · kick · degree · pitch · chip

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. chip — for betting
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. degree — an amount
  13. cap — a hat
  14. can — a tin
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. cap — of ice
  17. chip — to eat
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. pit — in a race
  20. degree — from a university
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bear — the animal
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. pitch — completely

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