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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: charge · scale · club · pound · cabinet · rash · degree · present

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — temperature
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. present — the time now
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. present — a gift
  9. charge — in control
  10. club — for golf
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. charge — a price
  15. present — there
  16. scale — size or range
  17. rash — a series
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. scale — in music
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. club — a group
  22. charge — electricity
  23. degree — an amount
  24. club — for dancing

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