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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: degree · suit · bat · stick · charge · last · kid · ball

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. degree — an amount
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. suit — in cards
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. last — to go on
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. charge — in control
  15. last — final
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bat — the animal
  19. last — finally
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — to fit
  22. degree — from a university
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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