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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 · cap · bowl · fall · craft · charge · fine · stem

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. cap — a lid
  3. band — a music group
  4. fine — all right
  5. cap — of ice
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. craft — a skill
  8. fall — the season
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. fall — to drop
  11. charge — electricity
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. craft — boats
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. cap — a hat
  17. charge — a price
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. band — a ring
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. charge — in control
  24. bowl — a dish

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