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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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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: cap · face · bark · stock · bay · current · chair · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. current — electric
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. face — to confront
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. current — happening now
  10. chair — a leader
  11. key — the most important part
  12. current — of water
  13. key — for a lock
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. stock — shares
  16. cap — of ice
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. cap — a hat
  19. stock — goods
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. cap — a lid
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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