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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: game · can · net · charge · key · arm · stock · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. stock — goods
  3. game — a match
  4. can — a tin
  5. stock — shares
  6. key — for a lock
  7. can — a tin
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. can — to be able to
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — to wash
  18. key — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. game — wild animals
  22. net — in sport
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. arm — part of the body

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