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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: object · bound · rush · club · bank · perch · content · ball

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. object — a thing
  4. ball — a dance
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. object — to protest
  8. bound — tied together
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bank — of a river
  12. content — the amount
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. club — for dancing
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. content — happy
  18. object — an aim
  19. club — a group
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bank — for money
  22. bound — certain
  23. club — for golf
  24. bank — for money

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