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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: key · squash · deal · rush · spring · firm · current · charge

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. firm — a company
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — electricity
  6. key — the most important part
  7. squash — to crush
  8. key — for a lock
  9. firm — steady
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — to handle
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. firm — decided
  15. rush — hurry
  16. current — of water
  17. spring — of water
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. current — electric
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. current — happening now
  22. spring — a coil
  23. squash — the sport
  24. spring — the season

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