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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: degree · bulb · lie · track · stand · pit · rush · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. stand — to bear
  3. pit — in a race
  4. track — a song
  5. charge — in control
  6. degree — from a university
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. charge — a price
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. track — to keep track
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rush — hurry
  21. track — a path
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stand — on your feet

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