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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.

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: kick · charge · trunk · bound · fine · club · degree · clip

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bound — obliged
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. clip — to cut
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. kick — in football
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. club — a group
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. clip — for paper
  14. club — for golf
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. charge — a price
  17. degree — temperature
  18. charge — electricity
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bound — certain
  21. clip — a video
  22. bound — tied together
  23. degree — from a university
  24. charge — in control

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