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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: kid · cap · roll · can · suit · saw · degree · date

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. cap — of ice
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — child
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. suit — in cards
  9. can — a tin
  10. degree — from a university
  11. can — a tin
  12. roll — a list
  13. suit — to fit
  14. can — to be able to
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cap — a hat
  18. degree — an amount
  19. saw — the tool
  20. roll — a cake
  21. date — the fruit
  22. cap — a lid
  23. saw — the tool
  24. date — on the calendar

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