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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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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: race · degree · prune · deal · dip · coach · cap · cell

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. deal — to handle
  3. dip — to sink
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. degree — temperature
  7. cap — a lid
  8. prune — to trim
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. race — a contest
  11. degree — from a university
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cell — in biology
  17. race — the arms race
  18. prune — to trim
  19. degree — an amount
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. race — humankind
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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