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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.

Make a worksheet

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: root · fine · chair · can · degree · band · charge · wound

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. degree — an amount
  3. fine — all right
  4. degree — temperature
  5. can — a tin
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. charge — electricity
  9. root — of a plant
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. can — a tin
  12. chair — a leader
  13. root — of a word
  14. fine — high quality
  15. can — to be able to
  16. charge — in control
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. degree — from a university
  19. band — a ring
  20. wound — an injury
  21. band — a music group
  22. root — the cause
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. chair — to sit on

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