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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: net · rule · deal · bound · calf · fan · bay · content

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rule — a law
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. content — happy
  6. net — in sport
  7. content — the amount
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bound — certain
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. net — after costs
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. rule — government
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bound — obliged
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bound — tied together
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a horse colour

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