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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: can · court · press · lean · charge · track · object · degree

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — an amount
  3. track — to keep track
  4. can — a tin
  5. object — a thing
  6. track — a path
  7. can — a tin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. degree — from a university
  10. can — to be able to
  11. track — a song
  12. charge — electricity
  13. press — a publisher
  14. court — for sport
  15. object — an aim
  16. press — to push
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — in control
  19. court — of a king
  20. lean — thin
  21. press — newspapers
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. object — to protest
  24. court — of law

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