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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.

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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: bound · content · bay · net · ruler · pound · game · deal

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. net — for catching
  3. content — happy
  4. net — after costs
  5. bound — obliged
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — the amount
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. game — a match
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bound — certain
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. net — in sport
  23. deal — to handle
  24. pound — a weight

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