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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
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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 · content · degree · mug · track · row · wave

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. row — a line
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. degree — from a university
  5. mug — a face
  6. degree — an amount
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. charge — a price
  10. track — to keep track
  11. charge — in control
  12. track — a path
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — happy
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. degree — temperature
  18. charge — electricity
  19. ball — a great time
  20. track — a song
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. mug — a cup
  23. ball — a dance
  24. row — to paddle

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