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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 · tube · racket · press · saw · degree · shower · vault

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. degree — from a university
  5. charge — a price
  6. degree — temperature
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. saw — the tool
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — to push
  14. shower — to wash
  15. saw — the tool
  16. vault — a safe
  17. charge — in control
  18. shower — rain
  19. degree — an amount
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. tube — the underground
  24. charge — electricity

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