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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: firm · wake · lean · bound · net · degree · land · charge

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. charge — in control
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — a company
  5. degree — an amount
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — in sport
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — from a university
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bound — tied together
  12. net — after costs
  13. land — ground
  14. land — to come down
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wake — a trail
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. land — a country
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lean — thin
  21. charge — a price
  22. firm — steady
  23. charge — electricity
  24. lean — to bend

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