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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: charge · rush · ground · race · stock · object · bass · pitch

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. ground — a position
  5. charge — a price
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. race — the arms race
  8. charge — in control
  9. bass — low music
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. object — an aim
  13. race — humankind
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. race — a contest
  16. bass — the fish
  17. rush — hurry
  18. ground — crushed
  19. stock — shares
  20. pitch — completely
  21. stock — goods
  22. charge — electricity
  23. ground — the earth
  24. object — to protest

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