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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: wake · rock · charge · pound · press · degree

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. charge — a price
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. press — to push
  7. wake — a trail
  8. charge — in control
  9. press — newspapers
  10. degree — from a university
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. pound — a weight
  14. press — a publisher
  15. charge — electricity
  16. rock — a stone
  17. degree — an amount
  18. wake — to stop sleeping

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