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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: suit · key · saw · row · stock · degree · charge · face

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. stock — goods
  3. row — a line
  4. charge — electricity
  5. degree — from a university
  6. row — to paddle
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. key — for a lock
  10. face — to point toward
  11. suit — to fit
  12. stock — shares
  13. degree — an amount
  14. charge — a price
  15. face — part of the head
  16. suit — clothes
  17. degree — temperature
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. suit — in cards
  20. key — the most important part
  21. saw — the tool
  22. face — to confront
  23. charge — in control
  24. saw — the tool

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