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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.

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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: degree · charge · fan · cue · coach · land · wound · deal

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. land — to come down
  3. degree — temperature
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. land — ground
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cue — for pool
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. cue — a hint
  16. land — a country
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. degree — an amount
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. degree — from a university
  21. charge — electricity
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wound — an injury

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