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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: bowl · snap · pitcher · patient · content · scale · band · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. scale — in music
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. band — a ring
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. content — the amount
  22. snap — to click
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. lie — to recline

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