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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pitch — completely
  6. hand — help
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. content — happy
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. scale — size or range
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bank — of a river
  14. ball — a dance
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. content — the amount
  20. scale — in music
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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