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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: degree · pass · cap · mark · pound · saw · rash · race

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — temperature
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pound — a weight
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rash — a series
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. degree — from a university
  11. race — a contest
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. race — the arms race
  17. cap — of ice
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pass — a permit
  21. race — humankind
  22. rash — hasty
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. mark — a grade

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