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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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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: suit · trunk · band · bound · charge · drill · chip · race

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. race — a contest
  3. charge — in control
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. drill — army training
  6. chip — to eat
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bound — obliged
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — humankind
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. drill — a practice
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bound — tied together
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bound — certain
  21. band — a ring
  22. chip — for betting
  23. charge — a price
  24. chip — in a computer

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