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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 120 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 · charge · mate · pitch · rash · temple · trunk · wound

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wound — an injury
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mate — to breed
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rash — a series
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. degree — from a university
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. mate — a partner
  14. charge — electricity
  15. degree — temperature
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. rash — hasty
  18. pitch — completely
  19. charge — in control
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. mate — a friend
  24. degree — an 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