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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
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: degree · mark · ground · racket · coach · lean · charge · content

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — temperature
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. content — happy
  8. charge — a price
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. content — the amount
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. charge — electricity
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. mark — a trace
  15. charge — in control
  16. mark — a grade
  17. ground — a position
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. degree — an amount
  24. content — videos and posts

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