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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.

Make a worksheet

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: racket · squash · key · cell · current · land · charge · march

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. charge — in control
  4. current — electric
  5. key — for a lock
  6. land — to come down
  7. march — music
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. charge — a price
  10. current — happening now
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — a phone
  14. land — ground
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. land — a country
  17. squash — to crush
  18. march — the month
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. current — of water
  21. march — the month
  22. key — the most important part
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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