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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
468
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: scale · foot · band · pitcher · lie · bowl · march · content

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. scale — size or range
  6. march — the month
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. scale — in music
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. march — music
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. march — the month
  17. band — a music group
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. foot — a measure
  24. band — a ring

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