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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: deal · row · trunk · bat · saw · degree · ruler · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — the animal
  4. degree — an amount
  5. saw — the tool
  6. degree — from a university
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. charge — a price
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. row — to paddle
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. row — a line
  19. deal — to handle
  20. degree — temperature
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. saw — the tool
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. row — a quarrel

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