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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: stem · chair · chip · rule · calf · press · field · march

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — government
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — a subject
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. field — farmland
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. stem — to come from
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. press — to push
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. press — a publisher
  20. chair — a leader
  21. rule — a law
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — a stem cell

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