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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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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: rule · drill · pound · bay · bound · ball · wind · mug

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. mug — a face
  10. drill — the tool
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bound — certain
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. wind — moving air
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — government
  20. mug — a cup
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. drill — a practice

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