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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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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: mark · land · content · pop · file · cue · bound · rule

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — government
  5. file — a line of people
  6. cue — for pool
  7. content — the amount
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bound — obliged
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pop — soda
  14. file — a tool
  15. mark — a trace
  16. land — to come down
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. land — ground
  20. bound — certain
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — happy
  23. land — a country
  24. mark — a grade

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