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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: band · nail · season · charge · bank · ground · stem · bulb

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. ground — a position
  3. band — a music group
  4. bulb — for light
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. charge — electricity
  7. season — of the year
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. charge — in control
  11. season — in sport
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bank — for money
  14. charge — a price
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a ring
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bank — for money
  20. ground — crushed
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bank — of a river
  24. nail — for a hammer

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