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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: rock · bound · file · ball · bank · object · content · march

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rock — a stone
  3. march — music
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — tied together
  6. rock — music
  7. object — a thing
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bank — for money
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bank — for money
  12. file — a document
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. object — to protest
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. bound — certain
  18. file — a tool
  19. object — an aim
  20. bank — of a river
  21. content — the amount
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. ball — a dance
  24. content — happy

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