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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: staff · charge · drill · degree · foot · ruler

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. staff — employees
  3. charge — a price
  4. drill — a practice
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. staff — employees
  7. degree — an amount
  8. drill — army training
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. charge — electricity
  11. foot — a measure
  12. degree — from a university
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. drill — the tool
  17. staff — a stick
  18. degree — temperature

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