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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: bound · coach · charge · stock · degree · bulb · club · rock

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. club — for golf
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. degree — an amount
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stock — shares
  8. rock — music
  9. degree — from a university
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bulb — for light
  16. charge — a price
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. charge — electricity
  19. rock — a stone
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stock — goods
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bulb — for light
  24. charge — in control

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