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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · deal · track · charge · key · press · rash · mine

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. track — a song
  4. key — for a lock
  5. track — to keep track
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. stock — shares
  9. rash — a series
  10. charge — electricity
  11. key — the most important part
  12. rash — hasty
  13. stock — goods
  14. charge — in control
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. track — a path
  17. press — a publisher
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. charge — a price
  20. key — in music
  21. press — to push
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — an explosive

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