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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: deal · bound · file · club · coach · last · game · content

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. file — a document
  3. last — to go on
  4. file — a line of people
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — the amount
  7. club — for golf
  8. bound — certain
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. last — finally
  11. club — for dancing
  12. last — final
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. file — a tool
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. content — happy
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. game — a match
  19. bound — tied together
  20. club — a group
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bound — obliged
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — an agreement

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