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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: bore · mark · degree · can · charge · perch · stock · cabinet

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. charge — electricity
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mark — a grade
  5. degree — an amount
  6. charge — in control
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. degree — temperature
  11. perch — the fish
  12. stock — goods
  13. can — a tin
  14. bore — to drill
  15. degree — from a university
  16. can — a tin
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. charge — a price
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stock — shares
  23. can — to be able to
  24. mark — a trace

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