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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: lean · mark · fall · sharp · board · stand · pitcher · scale

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mark — a grade
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. mark — a trace
  8. fall — the season
  9. scale — size or range
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. lean — thin
  15. scale — in music
  16. board — to get on
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lean — to bend
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fall — to drop
  24. board — a committee

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