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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 116 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: branch · track · bound · board · chip · straw · ground · tube

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. ground — crushed
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — a committee
  6. chip — to eat
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. ground — a position
  9. chip — for betting
  10. board — to get on
  11. track — a song
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. track — a path
  14. branch — a division
  15. bound — obliged
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bound — certain
  22. tube — a container
  23. bound — tied together
  24. track — to keep track

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