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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: bank · chip · charge · bowl · field · spell · lean · cell

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. charge — a price
  6. chip — to eat
  7. lean — thin
  8. bank — for money
  9. spell — letters
  10. cell — in biology
  11. charge — in control
  12. cell — a phone
  13. spell — magic
  14. chip — for betting
  15. spell — a short time
  16. field — for sport
  17. bank — for money
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — farmland
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bank — of a river
  22. lean — to bend
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bowl — a football final

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