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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: file · club · cabinet · firm · charge · face · degree · bulb

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — temperature
  5. file — a tool
  6. face — to point toward
  7. firm — steady
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. file — a document
  10. club — for golf
  11. bulb — for light
  12. charge — a price
  13. firm — a company
  14. charge — in control
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. charge — electricity
  18. firm — decided
  19. club — a group
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bulb — for light
  22. face — to confront
  23. degree — from a university
  24. file — a line of people

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