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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: charge · ball · kick · arm · degree · roll · pass · cold

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. charge — in control
  3. degree — temperature
  4. ball — a great time
  5. roll — a list
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. ball — a dance
  9. degree — from a university
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. charge — a price
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. degree — an amount
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — an illness
  20. roll — a cake
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. pass — a permit
  23. charge — electricity
  24. ball — a round shape

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