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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: leaves · degree · stick · bank · dip · charge · squash · capital

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bank — for money
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. charge — a price
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. charge — electricity
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. squash — the sport
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bank — of a river
  13. charge — in control
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bank — for money
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. capital — a city
  19. degree — from a university
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. squash — to crush

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