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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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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: bay · chair · stem · rock · charge · racket · fine · wind

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. charge — a price
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. fine — all right
  6. charge — in control
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wind — moving air
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. charge — electricity
  16. chair — a leader
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. rock — music
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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