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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.

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: fan · key · spring · stock · charge · cap · bass · arm

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. spring — a coil
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. key — the most important part
  5. cap — a lid
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. charge — electricity
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bass — low music
  11. cap — of ice
  12. spring — the season
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. cap — a hat
  15. stock — goods
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. key — in music
  19. spring — of water
  20. stock — shares
  21. bass — the fish
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. charge — in control
  24. bass — the instrument

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