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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · bulb · charge · dip · arm · court · season · march

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. march — the month
  3. bulb — for light
  4. charge — a price
  5. court — of a king
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. degree — an amount
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. season — in sport
  13. court — of law
  14. court — for sport
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. march — music
  17. season — of the year
  18. charge — electricity
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bulb — for light
  21. charge — in control
  22. degree — from a university
  23. march — the month
  24. degree — temperature

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