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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: root · dip · can · degree · season · cap · key · fan

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a hat
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. can — a tin
  7. dip — to sink
  8. root — the cause
  9. degree — an amount
  10. key — for a lock
  11. cap — a lid
  12. key — the most important part
  13. season — in sport
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. root — of a word
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. key — in music
  23. root — of a plant
  24. degree — from a university

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