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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: charge · tear · bowl · calf · current · row · ruler · key

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — the most important part
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. current — happening now
  5. row — to paddle
  6. charge — in control
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. tear — from crying
  13. charge — a price
  14. current — of water
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. charge — electricity
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. current — electric
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. row — a line
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. key — in music

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