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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: bank · chip · bound · wake · stand · board · content · land

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. land — a country
  4. bound — certain
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bound — obliged
  7. land — to come down
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bank — for money
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — happy
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bank — of a river
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bound — tied together
  18. land — ground
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bank — for money
  24. content — videos and posts

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