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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stem · current · stand · cold · branch · chip · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. chip — for betting
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bound — obliged
  7. branch — a division
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bound — certain
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. cold — not warm
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. chip — to eat
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bound — tied together
  20. current — electric
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — of water
  24. stand — for spectators

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