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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 120 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 · content · track · swing · wake · stand · can · fall

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bound — tied together
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bound — obliged
  6. content — happy
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. swing — in golf
  9. stand — to bear
  10. content — the amount
  11. fall — the season
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. swing — to play on
  15. track — a path
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. fall — to drop
  18. track — to keep track
  19. fall — to drop
  20. can — a tin
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bound — certain
  24. swing — music

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