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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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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: mug · current · bay · content · bound · rule · land · roll

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rule — a law
  4. land — to come down
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bound — certain
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. land — a country
  12. content — happy
  13. land — ground
  14. roll — a cake
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mug — to rob
  19. content — the amount
  20. mug — a cup
  21. current — electric
  22. rule — government
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. roll — a list

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