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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 120 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: stand · cell · vault · key · charge · fan · band · field

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. charge — in control
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. band — a ring
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. field — for sport
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — a price
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cell — a phone
  13. field — farmland
  14. key — the most important part
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. key — in music
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. field — a subject
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. band — a music group
  23. cell — in biology
  24. vault — a safe

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