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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: leaves · charge · tear · trunk · board · degree · stock · pitch

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stock — goods
  4. board — a committee
  5. charge — in control
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. degree — from a university
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. board — to get on
  10. charge — a price
  11. tear — from crying
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. degree — temperature
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. tear — to rip
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pitch — completely
  24. charge — electricity

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