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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 120 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: content · fine · scale · wound · drill · suit · mouse · capital

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. capital — money
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. content — the amount
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. fine — high quality
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — the tool
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. suit — to fit
  14. capital — a city
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. suit — in cards
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fine — all right
  20. content — happy
  21. drill — army training
  22. scale — in music
  23. suit — clothes
  24. scale — size or range

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