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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: cap · court · ruler · season · racket · hide · charge · degree

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. degree — temperature
  5. season — in sport
  6. cap — a hat
  7. charge — a price
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. degree — an amount
  11. court — of law
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. cap — a lid
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. court — of a king
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cap — of ice
  23. court — for sport
  24. hide — to keep secret

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