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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 · race · date · calf · content · ground · board · chest

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. race — humankind
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. chest — of your body
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. chest — of your body
  10. race — a contest
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. content — the amount
  13. charge — a price
  14. board — a committee
  15. chest — a box
  16. date — the fruit
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. ground — a position
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. charge — in control
  22. content — happy
  23. charge — electricity
  24. calf — of the leg

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