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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: cold · stand · rush · tube · chip · stock · row · charge

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. stock — shares
  3. tube — the underground
  4. stock — goods
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. charge — electricity
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. row — a line
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. chip — to eat
  12. cold — not warm
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. cold — an illness
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. chip — for betting
  17. stand — to bear
  18. tube — a container
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. charge — in control
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. charge — a price
  23. rush — hurry
  24. chip — in a computer

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