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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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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: board · charge · pop · content · bulb · degree · hide · rush

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pop — music
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. content — happy
  7. bulb — for light
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. board — to get on
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pop — to visit
  12. degree — an amount
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bulb — for light
  15. board — a committee
  16. degree — temperature
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — in control
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. pop — soda
  21. rush — hurry
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. content — the amount

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