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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: stem · kick · trunk · field · key · charge · march · scale

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. charge — a price
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. field — a subject
  5. key — the most important part
  6. charge — in control
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. key — in music
  11. march — the month
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. charge — electricity
  14. stem — to come from
  15. march — music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. field — farmland
  22. march — the month
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. field — for sport

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