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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: ground · fall · charge · dip · stock · race · stick · stand

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stock — goods
  5. charge — in control
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. charge — a price
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. race — humankind
  12. ground — a position
  13. fall — to drop
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. stand — to bear
  16. charge — electricity
  17. fall — the season
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. race — a contest
  20. ground — crushed
  21. dip — to sink
  22. race — the arms race
  23. ground — the earth
  24. stock — shares

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