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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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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: wake · kick · charge · press · stick · dip · court · degree

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. press — to push
  3. court — of law
  4. degree — from a university
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. degree — temperature
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. charge — electricity
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. dip — to sink
  14. press — newspapers
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — in control
  18. kick — in football
  19. degree — an amount
  20. court — for sport
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. press — a publisher
  23. wake — a trail
  24. kick — with a leg

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