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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: stock · spell · bear · race · dip · date · board · charge

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. board — to get on
  3. bear — the animal
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. race — humankind
  8. stock — shares
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. spell — letters
  11. dip — to sink
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. charge — in control
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. race — the arms race
  18. charge — a price
  19. spell — magic
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. spell — a short time
  22. board — a committee
  23. stock — goods
  24. race — a contest

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