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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.

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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: bank · nail · degree · current · sharp · court · charge · cap

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. cap — of ice
  3. court — of a king
  4. degree — from a university
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — in control
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. current — happening now
  9. bank — of a river
  10. cap — a hat
  11. charge — a price
  12. cap — a lid
  13. degree — an amount
  14. current — electric
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. sharp — clever
  20. degree — temperature
  21. current — of water
  22. court — of law
  23. court — for sport
  24. nail — for a hammer

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