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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 · date · degree · can · sharp · cap · deal · pit

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. degree — an amount
  5. can — a tin
  6. degree — from a university
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. season — of the year
  9. pit — a hole
  10. season — in sport
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a hat
  13. can — a tin
  14. deal — to handle
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. cap — a lid
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. degree — temperature
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. sharp — clever
  22. date — the fruit
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. can — to be able to

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