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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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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: snap · chair · charge · dip · degree · kid · board · scale

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. kid — child
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. degree — from a university
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. degree — an amount
  10. dip — to sink
  11. snap — to click
  12. chair — a leader
  13. charge — electricity
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. board — a committee
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. scale — size or range
  19. charge — a price
  20. degree — temperature
  21. charge — in control
  22. scale — in music
  23. kid — to tease
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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