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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. race — a contest
  4. stock — goods
  5. charge — in control
  6. chip — for betting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. chip — to eat
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. land — to come down
  12. rock — a stone
  13. charge — a price
  14. land — ground
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. land — a country
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. charge — electricity
  19. rock — music
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. stock — shares
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — to grow
  24. race — the arms race

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