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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 120 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 · foot · stand · mouse · court · degree · mate · key

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — in control
  4. court — for sport
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. degree — temperature
  8. charge — electricity
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. mate — a friend
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. court — of a king
  15. stand — to bear
  16. key — in music
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — from a university
  19. mate — a partner
  20. key — the most important part
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mate — to breed
  24. court — of law

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