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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: rush · content · bowl · bound · fine · mark · file · stand

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mark — a trace
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bound — certain
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. file — a document
  9. content — happy
  10. rush — hurry
  11. fine — all right
  12. content — the amount
  13. file — a line of people
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. mark — a grade
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. file — a tool
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. stand — to bear
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — tied together
  24. mark — to pay attention

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