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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 · object · march · current · temple · key · bat · bark

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. charge — in control
  7. object — to protest
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. march — the month
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bat — the animal
  14. charge — a price
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. object — an aim
  17. march — the month
  18. object — a thing
  19. current — happening now
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. charge — electricity
  22. march — music
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bat — in an idiom

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