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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: club · degree · track · mouse · drill · fan · fine · charge

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. charge — electricity
  4. track — to keep track
  5. fine — all right
  6. charge — a price
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. track — a song
  9. degree — an amount
  10. drill — the tool
  11. degree — temperature
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. club — for dancing
  15. charge — in control
  16. track — a path
  17. drill — army training
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. club — a group
  20. drill — a practice
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. club — for golf
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fine — high quality

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