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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: charge · racket · track · court · chair · degree · firm · bore

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. firm — a company
  5. track — a path
  6. court — for sport
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. firm — steady
  9. track — a song
  10. firm — decided
  11. degree — an amount
  12. track — to keep track
  13. court — of law
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — a price
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. chair — a leader
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. court — of a king
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bore — to tire
  24. racket — for tennis

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