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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: fan · mark · dip · saw · scale · board · object · bat

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bat — the animal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mark — a trace
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. saw — the tool
  9. object — a thing
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. saw — the tool
  14. board — to get on
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. scale — size or range
  17. dip — to sink
  18. object — to protest
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mark — a grade
  22. object — an aim
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — a flat piece

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