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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: content · clip · saw · chip · rest · wake · bound · racket

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bound — tied together
  3. content — happy
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bound — obliged
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. chip — to eat
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rest — what's left
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. content — the amount
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bound — certain
  19. chip — for betting
  20. clip — to cut
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rest — a break

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