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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: nail · pitcher · rash · fall · sharp · pass · degree · cap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — a lid
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rash — hasty
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. degree — an amount
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fall — the season
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. degree — temperature
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. fall — to drop
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. degree — from a university
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rash — a series

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