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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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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: wind · mark · bank · content · perch · scale · rock · snap

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bank — for money
  3. scale — size or range
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. perch — the fish
  7. scale — in music
  8. snap — to click
  9. mark — a grade
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bank — of a river
  17. wind — moving air
  18. content — happy
  19. rock — music
  20. bank — for money
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. mark — a trace
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. wind — moving air

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