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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: foot · mine · mug · content · pound · board · bowl · rule

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. content — happy
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — government
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. board — a committee
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. pound — a weight
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mug — a cup
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. foot — a measure
  24. board — to get on

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