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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.

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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 · charge · wound · dip · net · mark · row · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. charge — in control
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. degree — from a university
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — electricity
  11. net — for catching
  12. row — a line
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. mark — a trace
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. degree — temperature
  20. net — in sport
  21. degree — an amount
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. net — after costs

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