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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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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: row · deal · chest · cabinet · charge · race · stock · content

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. content — the amount
  3. row — to paddle
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. race — a contest
  7. deal — to handle
  8. content — happy
  9. row — a line
  10. chest — of your body
  11. race — humankind
  12. charge — electricity
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. charge — a price
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. race — the arms race
  21. stock — goods
  22. chest — a box
  23. charge — in control
  24. cabinet — ministers

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