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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: sharp · degree · charge · stem · trunk · ball · bore · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. charge — in control
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. degree — an amount
  8. sharp — clever
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. degree — from a university
  12. ball — a dance
  13. stem — to come from
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bore — to drill
  17. degree — temperature
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. charge — a price
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. charge — electricity
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. season — of the year

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