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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: row · toast · spell · degree · can · roll · mark · cap

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. cap — of ice
  3. can — a tin
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. cap — a hat
  7. roll — a cake
  8. spell — letters
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — temperature
  11. cap — a lid
  12. mark — a grade
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. degree — from a university
  17. spell — a short time
  18. can — a tin
  19. mark — a trace
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. row — a line
  22. row — to paddle
  23. spell — magic
  24. can — to be able to

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