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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 120 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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. stock — goods
  4. board — a committee
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stock — shares
  8. key — in music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. key — for a lock
  13. perch — the fish
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. charge — in control
  16. board — to get on
  17. charge — electricity
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. last — final
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. last — finally
  23. last — to go on
  24. board — a flat piece

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