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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 116 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: racket · degree · cabinet · key · lean · cap · charge · shower

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. key — in music
  3. degree — an amount
  4. charge — electricity
  5. degree — from a university
  6. cap — of ice
  7. key — the most important part
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. shower — rain
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. charge — a price
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cap — a lid
  15. lean — thin
  16. key — for a lock
  17. lean — to bend
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cap — a hat
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. charge — in control
  22. shower — to wash
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. degree — temperature

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