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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: season · calf · chip · scale · field · press · stem · charge

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. field — a subject
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. season — in sport
  9. chip — for betting
  10. charge — a price
  11. press — a publisher
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — for sport
  14. charge — electricity
  15. scale — in music
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. scale — size or range
  18. charge — in control
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. chip — to eat
  22. press — newspapers
  23. season — of the year
  24. stem — to come from

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