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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: saw · bound · stem · content · cue · charge · band · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. charge — a price
  4. race — a contest
  5. content — the amount
  6. stem — to come from
  7. charge — in control
  8. race — humankind
  9. band — a ring
  10. bound — obliged
  11. cue — for pool
  12. content — happy
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. charge — electricity
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. content — videos and posts

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