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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: degree · cap · stem · chip · pit · ball · drill · rock

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stem — to come from
  6. drill — the tool
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. pit — a hole
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. chip — to eat
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. rock — music
  14. drill — a practice
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — temperature
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. drill — army training
  24. cap — a lid

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