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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 120 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: lean · charge · cap · stock · can · ground · race · bear

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lean — to bend
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. cap — a hat
  9. race — the arms race
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — of ice
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. ground — the earth
  17. race — humankind
  18. can — a tin
  19. race — a contest
  20. can — a tin
  21. stock — goods
  22. lean — thin
  23. charge — electricity
  24. can — to be able to

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