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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: charge · field · chip · key · rock · rush · press · cell

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. press — newspapers
  3. field — a subject
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cell — a phone
  6. rush — hurry
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. rock — music
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. key — the most important part
  11. charge — electricity
  12. press — a publisher
  13. cell — in biology
  14. field — farmland
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. charge — a price
  17. press — to push
  18. key — for a lock
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. field — for sport
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. key — in music
  24. charge — in control

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