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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
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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: key · bore · jam · march · degree · pitcher · kick · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. degree — from a university
  3. charge — a price
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. charge — in control
  9. kick — in football
  10. degree — an amount
  11. march — the month
  12. key — in music
  13. march — the month
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bore — to drill
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. march — music
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. key — for a lock
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. key — the most important part
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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