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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: season · cabinet · march · bowl · pit · degree · pass · shower

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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. pit — in a race
  2. march — the month
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. degree — from a university
  6. march — music
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. season — in sport
  11. shower — rain
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. degree — temperature
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. march — the month
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pass — a permit
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. season — of the year
  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