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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 · last · cap · can · track · degree · court · fine

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fine — high quality
  7. last — to go on
  8. fine — all right
  9. court — for sport
  10. track — a song
  11. can — a tin
  12. last — final
  13. court — of a king
  14. last — finally
  15. degree — temperature
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. track — a path
  19. degree — an amount
  20. track — to keep track
  21. degree — from a university
  22. cap — a hat
  23. court — of law
  24. saw — the tool

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