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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: chest · band · chip · field · charge · coach · rock · bear

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. charge — in control
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bear — the animal
  6. charge — a price
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chest — a box
  9. field — farmland
  10. chest — of your body
  11. rock — a stone
  12. band — a music group
  13. rock — music
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. band — a ring
  16. field — a subject
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. charge — electricity
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bear — the animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. field — for sport
  23. chip — to eat
  24. rock — to move gently

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