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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: club · pop · rash · present · rock · bound · net · file

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. file — a line of people
  3. club — for dancing
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pop — music
  6. bound — certain
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. file — a tool
  9. rash — a series
  10. net — for catching
  11. pop — to visit
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — the time now
  14. pop — soda
  15. net — after costs
  16. present — there
  17. club — a group
  18. bound — tied together
  19. rash — hasty
  20. net — in sport
  21. club — for golf
  22. rock — music
  23. file — a document
  24. rock — a stone

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