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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: chair · charge · wound · field · stem · mark · plane · tube

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. plane — a tool
  4. field — for sport
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. charge — a price
  7. tube — a container
  8. wound — an injury
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. tube — the underground
  13. field — farmland
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mark — a trace
  16. charge — electricity
  17. stem — to come from
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. charge — in control
  20. chair — a leader
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. field — a subject

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