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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: pitcher · ruler · game · cap · scale · content · pound · lie

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  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. pound — a weight
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. scale — in music
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. cap — a lid
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. cap — of ice
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. content — happy
  18. cap — a hat
  19. scale — size or range
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. game — a match
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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