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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: track · stem · charge · rule · saw · band · mug · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. track — to keep track
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stem — to come from
  5. rule — government
  6. band — a music group
  7. mug — to rob
  8. band — a ring
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. rule — a law
  11. track — a path
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. charge — a price
  15. mug — a face
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. saw — the tool
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. charge — in control
  20. mug — a cup
  21. track — a song
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. charge — electricity

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