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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: mug · bound · tear · content · band · can · net · pound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. content — the amount
  3. can — a tin
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. content — happy
  6. band — a music group
  7. pound — a weight
  8. band — a ring
  9. bound — obliged
  10. net — for catching
  11. mug — to rob
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. tear — to rip
  14. net — after costs
  15. can — a tin
  16. bound — certain
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mug — a face
  19. can — to be able to
  20. mug — a cup
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. tear — from crying
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. net — in sport

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