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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: rush · charge · degree · vault · spell · ball · fan · stick

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. ball — a dance
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. spell — a short time
  6. degree — from a university
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. charge — in control
  9. spell — letters
  10. degree — temperature
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ball — a great time
  13. charge — electricity
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. degree — an amount
  23. spell — magic
  24. fan — a supporter

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