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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: lie · content · pass · pound · capital · toast · pitcher · wax

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. lie — to recline
  5. capital — a city
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. content — happy
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. capital — money
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. wax — to grow
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. pass — a permit
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. pound — a weight
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. toast — bread
  24. capital — a big letter

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