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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: content · lie · deal · bound · pass · ball · rush · land

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bound — obliged
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. land — ground
  5. deal — to handle
  6. content — happy
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bound — tied together
  11. pass — a permit
  12. land — a country
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ball — a great time
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bound — certain
  23. content — the amount
  24. land — to come down

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