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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: charge · pass · bay · foot · racket · bound · degree · row

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. bound — obliged
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. degree — temperature
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. charge — in control
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bound — certain
  19. row — a line
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. foot — a measure

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