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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 · race · content · chip · stand · branch · bulb · bore

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. race — humankind
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bore — to drill
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bore — to tire
  7. branch — a division
  8. bound — obliged
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bulb — for light
  11. content — happy
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bound — certain
  20. content — the amount
  21. bound — tied together
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — the arms race

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