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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 · stock · patient · racket · cap · club · court

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. court — for sport
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. club — a group
  7. cap — a hat
  8. court — of a king
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. degree — temperature
  11. court — of law
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. charge — a price
  14. stock — shares
  15. club — for golf
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. charge — in control
  19. cap — a lid
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — an amount
  22. stock — goods
  23. club — for dancing
  24. charge — electricity

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