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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 120 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: mate · leaves · degree · bear · perch · capital · net · charge

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. degree — temperature
  3. mate — a partner
  4. net — in sport
  5. bear — the animal
  6. charge — a price
  7. degree — from a university
  8. net — for catching
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. capital — money
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. charge — in control
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. degree — an amount
  21. net — after costs
  22. perch — the fish
  23. charge — electricity
  24. capital — a city

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