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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: stock · trunk · object · fan · charge · ruler · net · key

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. key — for a lock
  4. object — to protest
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. charge — electricity
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. net — after costs
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. object — an aim
  15. charge — in control
  16. net — for catching
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stock — shares
  19. charge — a price
  20. stock — goods
  21. object — a thing
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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