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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: charge · ball · bound · club · face · cap · degree · saw

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. ball — a dance
  4. charge — in control
  5. cap — a hat
  6. club — a group
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. charge — a price
  10. bound — certain
  11. club — for dancing
  12. saw — the tool
  13. face — to confront
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bound — obliged
  16. saw — the tool
  17. degree — from a university
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. degree — an amount
  20. ball — a great time
  21. charge — electricity
  22. club — for golf
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to point toward

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