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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: wind · board · lie · season · content · mark · mug · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. content — happy
  6. mug — a face
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. season — of the year
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. board — to get on
  14. lie — to recline
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mark — a trace
  17. board — a committee
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wind — moving air
  21. mark — a grade
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mug — to rob

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