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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 · present · saw · file · jam · ball · mate · rock

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. file — a tool
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bound — obliged
  7. ball — a dance
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bound — certain
  10. rock — music
  11. file — a document
  12. mate — a partner
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bound — tied together
  15. present — a gift
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mate — to breed
  18. ball — a great time
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. mate — a friend
  22. present — there
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. present — the time now

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