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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 · stock · deal · race · can · branch · cold · mark

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. deal — to handle
  2. race — the arms race
  3. can — a tin
  4. stock — goods
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. branch — a division
  7. race — humankind
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a trace
  12. can — to be able to
  13. charge — a price
  14. cold — an illness
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. can — a tin
  17. race — a contest
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. mark — a grade
  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