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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ground · scale · content · cap · can · drill · hand · march

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. content — the amount
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. drill — the tool
  8. ground — a position
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. march — the month
  11. ground — the earth
  12. can — a tin
  13. march — music
  14. drill — army training
  15. content — happy
  16. cap — a lid
  17. hand — help
  18. march — the month
  19. ground — crushed
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. drill — a practice

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