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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: fine · ground · dip · pass · season · cap · pit · mark

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. fine — all right
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pass — a permit
  5. season — of the year
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. ground — the earth
  11. mark — a grade
  12. cap — a hat
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pit — a hole
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — crushed
  18. cap — a lid
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pit — in a race
  21. fine — high quality
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. cap — of ice
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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