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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: bulb · kick · fine · degree · hand · perch · charge · nail

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. charge — electricity
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bulb — for light
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fine — all right
  11. charge — a price
  12. perch — the fish
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. degree — temperature
  15. hand — help
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. hand — in cards
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. charge — in control
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — in football
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — an amount

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