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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: capital · degree · pit · kid · stick · current · mouse · pass

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — temperature
  3. kid — to tease
  4. capital — a city
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. current — happening now
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. current — of water
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. capital — money
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. current — electric
  19. degree — an amount
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pit — a hole
  22. kid — child
  23. pass — a permit
  24. mouse — the animal

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