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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
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: row · bat · stock · charge · temple · rock · key · game

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — the most important part
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bat — the animal
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — a match
  10. stock — goods
  11. row — to paddle
  12. charge — a price
  13. key — in music
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. rock — music
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. stock — shares
  24. row — a line

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