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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: bat · current · rock · key · mouse · stock · stick · fork

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stock — goods
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. current — happening now
  8. key — for a lock
  9. rock — music
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. rock — a stone
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. key — in music
  14. fork — in a road
  15. current — of water
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. stock — shares
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bat — the animal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. current — electric

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