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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: arm · ground · trunk · mug · bound · roll · deal · content

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. ground — crushed
  3. mug — a cup
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mug — a face
  7. bound — obliged
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bound — tied together
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. roll — a list
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. roll — a cake
  17. ground — the earth
  18. deal — to handle
  19. ground — a position
  20. content — the amount
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bound — certain
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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