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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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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 · tube · ruler · pitcher · wound · coach · charge · key

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. charge — electricity
  3. tube — a container
  4. key — in music
  5. degree — temperature
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. charge — a price
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wound — an injury
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. key — for a lock
  14. wound — an injury
  15. degree — an amount
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. key — the most important part
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. charge — in control
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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