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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mouse · wound · charge · club · object · rock · key

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. club — a group
  3. rock — music
  4. object — to protest
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. key — for a lock
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wound — an injury
  9. degree — from a university
  10. object — an aim
  11. rock — a stone
  12. object — a thing
  13. degree — an amount
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — in control
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. degree — temperature
  18. key — in music
  19. club — for golf
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. key — the most important part
  22. club — for dancing
  23. charge — a price
  24. wound — an injury

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