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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: root · kick · leaves · charge · degree · bowl · pass · chip

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. charge — a price
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. degree — temperature
  8. root — of a plant
  9. degree — an amount
  10. chip — to eat
  11. kick — in football
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. degree — from a university
  14. pass — a permit
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. charge — electricity
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. charge — in control
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. root — the cause
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — to roll

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