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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: scale · present · fall · kick · charge · degree

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. degree — temperature
  3. kick — in football
  4. charge — electricity
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. scale — in music
  7. fall — to drop
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. scale — size or range
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. fall — to drop
  13. present — a gift
  14. degree — an amount
  15. fall — the season
  16. present — the time now
  17. degree — from a university
  18. scale — for weighing

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