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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. current — happening now
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bass — the fish
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. current — of water
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bass — low music
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stock — goods
  15. key — in music
  16. stock — shares
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a line
  21. current — electric
  22. saw — the tool
  23. key — the most important part
  24. charge — a price

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