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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: ground · stock · present · charge · bat · degree · perch · arm

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — the animal
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. stock — goods
  8. present — the time now
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. charge — electricity
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. degree — from a university
  14. charge — in control
  15. present — a gift
  16. charge — a price
  17. stock — shares
  18. ground — a position
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. perch — the fish
  21. degree — an amount
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. present — there

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