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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: ground · wound · lie · scale · content · patient · pop · vault

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. content — happy
  3. ground — a position
  4. pop — to visit
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. ground — crushed
  8. content — the amount
  9. lie — to recline
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pop — soda
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pop — music
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wound — an injury
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. vault — a safe
  23. ground — the earth
  24. scale — in music

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