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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 116 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 · wound · branch · tube · bound · chip · pitcher · club

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. club — a group
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. tube — a container
  7. branch — a division
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. chip — to eat
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bound — certain
  13. club — for golf
  14. bound — tied together
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. content — the amount
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. chip — for betting
  23. content — happy
  24. club — for dancing

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