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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bowl · present · content · land · firm · fine · wake · file

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. file — a document
  3. fine — high quality
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. land — a country
  8. firm — steady
  9. wake — a trail
  10. present — there
  11. file — a line of people
  12. content — happy
  13. fine — all right
  14. content — the amount
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. present — the time now
  17. land — to come down
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. present — a gift
  20. firm — decided
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. firm — a company
  23. file — a tool
  24. fine — a penalty

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