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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: file · date · content · ball · bulb · land · mate · bound

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bound — obliged
  3. file — a tool
  4. bound — tied together
  5. ball — a great time
  6. mate — to breed
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. land — a country
  10. bound — certain
  11. land — to come down
  12. content — the amount
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. land — ground
  16. mate — a partner
  17. file — a line of people
  18. mate — a friend
  19. ball — a dance
  20. content — happy
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. file — a document
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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