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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: field · charge · stem · capital · stand · pop · arm · bay

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  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. bay — a part of the sea
  2. pop — soda
  3. capital — money
  4. field — for sport
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. charge — electricity
  8. field — a subject
  9. charge — in control
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pop — to visit
  12. charge — a price
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. stem — to come from
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. field — farmland
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pop — music
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. capital — a city
  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