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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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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: pound · chip · mug · squash · bound · track · content · board

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. content — happy
  3. mug — a face
  4. track — a path
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bound — certain
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. board — a committee
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — the sport
  11. track — to keep track
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bound — tied together
  15. board — to get on
  16. track — a song
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bound — obliged
  20. squash — to crush
  21. chip — to eat
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — for dogs

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