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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
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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: stick · firm · charge · rule · key · roll · rock · bass

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. rule — government
  5. bass — the fish
  6. firm — a company
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. charge — electricity
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — for a lock
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. firm — steady
  13. rock — a stone
  14. charge — a price
  15. bass — low music
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. roll — a list
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. roll — a cake
  20. firm — decided
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. charge — in control
  24. key — in music

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