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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: cue · capital · pass · degree · dip · pop · jam · coach

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. degree — from a university
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. degree — temperature
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. capital — a city
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. cue — for pool
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. pop — to visit
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. capital — money
  22. cue — a signal
  23. degree — an amount
  24. jam — a tight spot

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