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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 116 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: degree · game · mark · dip · saw · cap · club · season

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. club — for dancing
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mark — a grade
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. dip — to sink
  11. cap — of ice
  12. club — a group
  13. saw — the tool
  14. degree — an amount
  15. mark — a trace
  16. game — wild animals
  17. degree — from a university
  18. cap — a lid
  19. game — a match
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. cap — a hat
  22. saw — the tool
  23. club — for golf
  24. dip — to dunk

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