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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: row · deal · bound · jam · ball · content · fine · bowl

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bound — obliged
  5. ball — a dance
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. row — a line
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. content — the amount
  15. fine — all right
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bound — tied together
  20. content — happy
  21. row — to paddle
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bound — certain

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