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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
468
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: season · perch · charge · degree · stem · cabinet · chip · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. degree — an amount
  4. charge — a price
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. perch — the fish
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — in sport
  12. chip — to eat
  13. degree — temperature
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. chip — for betting
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stem — to come from
  19. degree — from a university
  20. charge — in control
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. charge — electricity
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cabinet — ministers

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