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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
468
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 · coach · object · prune · march · lash · bat · charge

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. object — to protest
  3. prune — to trim
  4. degree — temperature
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. march — the month
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. charge — in control
  9. march — the month
  10. charge — a price
  11. degree — from a university
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. march — music
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bat — the animal
  22. degree — an amount
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bat — in an idiom

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