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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 116 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: straw · stock · race · pop · charge · object · ground · pit

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. charge — in control
  4. race — the arms race
  5. ground — crushed
  6. object — to protest
  7. pit — in a race
  8. object — a thing
  9. race — a contest
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. ground — the earth
  13. stock — shares
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. charge — electricity
  16. pit — a hole
  17. charge — a price
  18. race — humankind
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. stock — goods
  22. object — an aim
  23. pop — to visit
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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