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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: bound · capital · deal · toast · chip · stem · prune · content

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. capital — money
  3. bound — tied together
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. capital — a city
  7. deal — to handle
  8. prune — to trim
  9. toast — bread
  10. content — happy
  11. content — the amount
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bound — obliged
  16. prune — to trim
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. chip — for betting
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bound — certain
  23. stem — to come from
  24. toast — the most admired

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