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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
468
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: bark · ground · mouse · rule · content · board · ball · bowl

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ball — a great time
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. ball — a dance
  5. rule — a law
  6. bark — to shout
  7. content — happy
  8. board — a committee
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. board — to get on
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. ground — crushed
  19. content — the amount
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. ground — a position
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rule — government

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