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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 · mug · band · charge · chest · stem · season · chip

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. chip — for betting
  3. charge — in control
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — to rob
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. charge — electricity
  8. band — a music group
  9. season — in sport
  10. chest — of your body
  11. season — of the year
  12. charge — a price
  13. field — farmland
  14. chest — a box
  15. stem — to come from
  16. field — for sport
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mug — a face
  20. band — a ring
  21. chip — to eat
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. field — a subject
  24. chip — in a computer

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