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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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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 · board · stand · club · charge · tear · trunk · chip

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. board — to get on
  3. club — for dancing
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — certain
  9. charge — electricity
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. board — a committee
  12. charge — in control
  13. bound — tied together
  14. charge — a price
  15. chip — for betting
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — a group
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. chip — to eat
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stand — to bear
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. tear — from crying

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