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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: mate · race · land · fork · charge · cap · stock · saw

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. stock — shares
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cap — a lid
  10. land — to come down
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. charge — a price
  13. race — humankind
  14. land — a country
  15. race — a contest
  16. cap — a hat
  17. mate — a partner
  18. stock — goods
  19. cap — of ice
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. land — ground
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — in control

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