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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: court · board · stock · charge · key · fan · cell · rock

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. board — to get on
  3. rock — music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. charge — in control
  6. key — in music
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of law
  9. court — of a king
  10. charge — a price
  11. cell — in biology
  12. charge — electricity
  13. key — the most important part
  14. cell — a phone
  15. stock — shares
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. board — a committee
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — a stone
  22. stock — goods
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. cell — in a prison

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