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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: bound · march · fine · mouse · craft · band · season · content

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. march — the month
  4. fine — all right
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. band — a ring
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. content — happy
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. band — a music group
  15. season — of the year
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. march — music
  19. content — the amount
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. march — the month
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — a skill

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