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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: content · bound · hand · swing · stem · arm · fork · tube

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. hand — help
  6. content — the amount
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. fork — in a road
  9. tube — the underground
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — obliged
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bound — tied together
  18. hand — in cards
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. tube — a container
  23. swing — music
  24. content — happy

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