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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: object · degree · bulb · pass · racket · dip · cap · fine

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  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. pass — to succeed
  2. fine — all right
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. cap — a lid
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. object — a thing
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cap — a hat
  12. degree — temperature
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bulb — for light
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. dip — to sink
  19. pass — a permit
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. degree — an amount
  23. fine — high quality
  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