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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: stock · court · stem · chair · field · pass · charge · rock

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  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. chair — to sit on
  2. rock — a stone
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. field — a subject
  9. court — of a king
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. pass — a permit
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — in control
  16. court — of law
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. court — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  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