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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: bound · charge · fork · wound · suit · chip · content · stem

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. suit — in cards
  4. charge — in control
  5. suit — to fit
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — certain
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stem — to come from
  13. chip — for betting
  14. charge — a price
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bound — tied together
  17. charge — electricity
  18. chip — to eat
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. content — happy
  22. suit — clothes
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. fork — in a road

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