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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: suit · degree · game · press · pass · can · racket · capital

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. press — to push
  3. suit — to fit
  4. degree — temperature
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. game — a match
  7. can — a tin
  8. suit — in cards
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. capital — money
  11. pass — a permit
  12. degree — from a university
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. press — a publisher
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. capital — a city
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. press — newspapers
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. degree — an amount

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