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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: rule · ball · tube · pound · pop · content · roll · mouse

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pop — music
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pop — to visit
  5. roll — a list
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rule — government
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. roll — a cake
  15. content — happy
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. rule — a law
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. pop — soda
  23. tube — the underground
  24. content — the amount

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