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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: bound · fine · swing · roll · date · bank · cell · row

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bank — for money
  3. bound — tied together
  4. swing — music
  5. bound — obliged
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. fine — all right
  8. roll — a cake
  9. bound — certain
  10. bank — for money
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bank — of a river
  14. cell — a phone
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. date — the fruit
  17. roll — a list
  18. fine — high quality
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. swing — to play on
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a line
  23. swing — in golf
  24. date — on the calendar

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