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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 · chip · race · trunk · root · content · patient · coach

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. race — a contest
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. race — the arms race
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. bound — tied together
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. root — of a plant
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bound — certain
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. content — the amount
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. race — humankind
  22. content — happy
  23. bound — obliged
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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