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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.

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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: club · charge · pound · degree · field · bay · wake · object

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — farmland
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. field — a subject
  5. object — an aim
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. charge — electricity
  8. pound — a weight
  9. wake — a trail
  10. club — for dancing
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. charge — in control
  14. degree — an amount
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. object — to protest
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. object — a thing
  19. club — a group
  20. charge — a price
  21. club — for golf
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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