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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: charge · pitcher · wake · hide · degree · net · tube · press

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. charge — a price
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. net — after costs
  5. degree — temperature
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — a publisher
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. tube — a container
  14. press — to push
  15. charge — electricity
  16. degree — from a university
  17. tube — the underground
  18. net — for catching
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. net — in sport
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. degree — an amount
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. charge — in control

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