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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: charge · can · club · degree · root · temple · bark · capital

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. charge — electricity
  3. degree — from a university
  4. root — of a word
  5. bark — to shout
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. capital — a city
  9. can — a tin
  10. root — of a plant
  11. degree — temperature
  12. root — the cause
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. club — for dancing
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — in control
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. can — to be able to
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — a group
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — money

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