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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 · board · ruler · sharp · leaves · game · degree · deal

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — electricity
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. degree — from a university
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. degree — an amount
  10. deal — to handle
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. degree — temperature
  14. board — a committee
  15. charge — in control
  16. game — a match
  17. sharp — clever
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. board — to get on
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — wild animals
  24. ruler — for measuring

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