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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: bass · mug · row · safe · charge · ground · race · stock

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. charge — a price
  3. mug — a cup
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. row — to paddle
  6. mug — to rob
  7. race — humankind
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bass — the fish
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. mug — a face
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. stock — shares
  16. race — the arms race
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stock — goods
  19. row — a line
  20. bass — low music
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. charge — in control
  23. ground — the earth
  24. stock — a soup base

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