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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: cap · rash · cue · stand · pit · degree · fan · lean

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. degree — from a university
  3. lean — to bend
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cap — a hat
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rash — a series
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cap — of ice
  16. rash — hasty
  17. cue — for pool
  18. degree — temperature
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a hole
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. lean — thin
  23. degree — an amount
  24. stand — to bear

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