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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: pop · current · rock · squash · key · bank · charge · trunk

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. current — electric
  3. charge — a price
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. pop — music
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. current — happening now
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — electricity
  14. pop — soda
  15. squash — the sport
  16. pop — to visit
  17. key — in music
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bank — of a river
  21. current — of water
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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