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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: leaves · degree · charge · suit · file · can · kid · net

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. suit — to fit
  3. file — a line of people
  4. suit — clothes
  5. kid — to tease
  6. file — a document
  7. degree — an amount
  8. file — a tool
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. suit — in cards
  11. net — in sport
  12. charge — electricity
  13. degree — from a university
  14. can — a tin
  15. net — after costs
  16. degree — temperature
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — child
  20. can — a tin
  21. net — for catching
  22. can — to be able to
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. charge — a price

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