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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: cabinet · field · stand · bank · safe · stem · charge · band

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bank — for money
  3. band — a ring
  4. field — farmland
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bank — for money
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bank — of a river
  9. charge — in control
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stand — to bear
  12. field — for sport
  13. stem — to come from
  14. field — a subject
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. band — a music group
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. charge — a price

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