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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: swing · bound · ground · file · fine · bank · trunk · band

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. swing — to play on
  3. fine — high quality
  4. band — a music group
  5. bank — for money
  6. bound — obliged
  7. band — a ring
  8. ground — crushed
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bank — for money
  11. swing — music
  12. ground — the earth
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. swing — in golf
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bound — certain
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. fine — all right
  19. ground — a position
  20. bound — tied together
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bank — of a river
  24. file — a tool

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