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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: mine · degree · pit · pass · cap · rash · staff · kick

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. cap — a hat
  4. degree — an amount
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. degree — from a university
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — in football
  9. pass — a permit
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. staff — employees
  14. degree — temperature
  15. cap — a lid
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — hasty
  18. staff — a stick
  19. rash — a series
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. staff — employees
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. cap — of ice

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