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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: present · bulb · bound · board · degree · deal · charge · land

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. land — a country
  3. charge — a price
  4. present — the time now
  5. bulb — for light
  6. board — a committee
  7. present — a gift
  8. bulb — for light
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. present — there
  11. charge — in control
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — tied together
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bound — obliged
  17. land — to come down
  18. degree — from a university
  19. deal — to handle
  20. charge — electricity
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. board — to get on
  24. land — ground

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