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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. net — for catching
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. net — after costs
  7. march — music
  8. net — in sport
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bank — for money
  12. march — the month
  13. roll — a cake
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. content — happy
  16. roll — a list
  17. content — the amount
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — a weight
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. march — the month
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. scale — for weighing

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