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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: present · bound · charge · wind · degree · lean · ball · stock

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — an amount
  3. lean — thin
  4. charge — a price
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. bound — certain
  9. charge — in control
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. stock — goods
  17. lean — to bend
  18. ball — a great time
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bound — tied together
  21. ball — a dance
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. charge — electricity
  24. lean — to rest against

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