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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: field · chip · rock · last · stand · cabinet · object · charge

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — an aim
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. rock — a stone
  5. charge — in control
  6. chip — to eat
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. last — final
  9. last — to go on
  10. field — a subject
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stand — to bear
  14. charge — a price
  15. rock — music
  16. chip — for betting
  17. object — a thing
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. last — finally
  20. field — for sport
  21. charge — electricity
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. field — farmland
  24. stand — on your feet

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