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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: sharp · charge · racket · degree · fine · mark · club · bank

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. sharp — clever
  3. charge — a price
  4. mark — a trace
  5. degree — an amount
  6. charge — electricity
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bank — of a river
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. charge — in control
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bank — for money
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. degree — temperature
  15. mark — a grade
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. club — for dancing
  18. fine — all right
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. club — a group
  21. bank — for money
  22. fine — high quality
  23. club — for golf
  24. sharp — exactly

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