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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: charge · ground · perch · wound · pitcher · key · degree · bore

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. ground — the earth
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wound — an injury
  6. ground — crushed
  7. charge — a price
  8. key — for a lock
  9. ground — a position
  10. key — in music
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wound — an injury
  13. perch — the fish
  14. charge — in control
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. degree — an amount
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bore — to tire
  20. charge — electricity
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. degree — temperature
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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