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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
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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: tear · charge · coach · firm · degree · drill · bulb · bowl

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. tear — from crying
  3. drill — the tool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. firm — steady
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. firm — decided
  10. charge — in control
  11. drill — army training
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bulb — for light
  15. firm — a company
  16. degree — an amount
  17. drill — a practice
  18. degree — from a university
  19. charge — a price
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. charge — electricity
  22. tear — to rip
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bowl — a football final

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