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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: mouse · mate · net · stand · bank · rule · field · charge

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. bank — for money
  2. stand — to bear
  3. field — a subject
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. rule — government
  6. bank — for money
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rule — a law
  9. field — for sport
  10. charge — electricity
  11. net — after costs
  12. mate — a friend
  13. field — farmland
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. net — in sport
  16. bank — of a river
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. charge — in control
  22. net — for catching
  23. charge — a price
  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