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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: coach · bear · saw · bowl · content · branch · chip · bound

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. saw — the tool
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bear — the animal
  7. content — the amount
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. content — happy
  13. bound — certain
  14. bear — the animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. saw — the tool
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bound — obliged
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. chip — for betting
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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