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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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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: stick · hand · stand · charge · object · race · pass · bay

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. object — a thing
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. race — the arms race
  9. hand — help
  10. charge — a price
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. charge — in control
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. stand — to bear
  17. race — humankind
  18. object — an aim
  19. race — a contest
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. object — to protest
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — in cards
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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