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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: degree · charge · kick · club · pit · press

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. press — to push
  3. press — a publisher
  4. club — for golf
  5. degree — temperature
  6. pit — a hole
  7. charge — electricity
  8. press — newspapers
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pit — in a race
  11. club — a group
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. club — for dancing
  14. degree — an amount
  15. kick — in football
  16. charge — in control
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pit — a fruit stone

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