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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 120 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 · stand · land · chair · stem · chip · pit · charge

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. band — a music group
  4. stand — to bear
  5. chip — for betting
  6. land — ground
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. land — a country
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. pit — in a race
  12. charge — electricity
  13. stem — to come from
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — in control
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a ring
  18. chip — to eat
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pit — a hole
  21. land — to come down
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. chair — a leader

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