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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.

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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: season · bay · mouse · stock · trunk · file · charge · key

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. season — in sport
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a document
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. stock — shares
  9. charge — a price
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. key — in music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. file — a line of people
  18. charge — in control
  19. key — the most important part
  20. charge — electricity
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. season — of the year
  23. stock — goods
  24. mouse — the animal

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