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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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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: saw · cap · degree · key · stand · mug · pop · wind

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a hat
  5. degree — an amount
  6. key — in music
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pop — soda
  10. degree — temperature
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mug — to rob
  13. cap — a lid
  14. key — the most important part
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. key — for a lock
  17. wind — moving air
  18. stand — to bear
  19. degree — from a university
  20. mug — a face
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pop — to visit
  23. mug — a cup
  24. pop — music

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