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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: tear · suit · charge · pound · degree · court

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. court — for sport
  3. pound — a weight
  4. court — of law
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. tear — to rip
  9. charge — a price
  10. tear — from crying
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — an amount
  13. charge — in control
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. court — of a king
  16. tear — from crying
  17. charge — electricity
  18. suit — to fit

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