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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: mate · arm · field · cabinet · charge · ruler · band · stem

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. charge — a price
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. charge — in control
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. mate — a friend
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a ring
  13. mate — a partner
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — for sport
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. charge — electricity
  20. band — a music group
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. mate — to breed
  24. field — farmland

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