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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: racket · degree · charge · root · perch · nail · hide · calf

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. root — the cause
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. degree — from a university
  7. charge — a price
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. degree — an amount
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. perch — the fish
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. root — of a word
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. root — of a plant
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. degree — temperature
  24. charge — in control

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