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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 116 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 · wind · squash · vault · scale · tube · degree · cap

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. wind — moving air
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. squash — to crush
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. charge — a price
  9. degree — an amount
  10. charge — in control
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wind — moving air
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. degree — temperature
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — a safe
  19. cap — of ice
  20. charge — electricity
  21. scale — in music
  22. tube — the underground
  23. degree — from a university
  24. scale — size or range

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