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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 116 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: press · charge · field · perch · fan · degree · spell · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. perch — the fish
  3. charge — in control
  4. spell — letters
  5. press — a publisher
  6. field — a subject
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — temperature
  9. field — farmland
  10. press — to push
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. press — newspapers
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bound — certain
  15. field — for sport
  16. charge — electricity
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — magic
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bound — obliged
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. charge — a price

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