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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: row · can · ground · degree · ruler · sharp · stock · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. can — to be able to
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. degree — temperature
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. row — a line
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. row — to paddle
  9. degree — from a university
  10. stock — goods
  11. can — a tin
  12. charge — in control
  13. can — a tin
  14. sharp — clever
  15. ground — a position
  16. charge — a price
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. degree — an amount
  19. ground — crushed
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ground — the earth
  24. stock — shares

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