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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: cap · mine · pass · date · degree · coach · fine · bore

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. degree — temperature
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. date — the fruit
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mine — for digging
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to drill
  21. degree — from a university
  22. pass — a permit
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mine — an explosive

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