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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: fan · nail · march · board · scale · ball · cap · mark

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. ball — a dance
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. cap — of ice
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. scale — in music
  7. march — the month
  8. board — to get on
  9. march — music
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. march — the month
  15. mark — a trace
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mark — a grade
  18. ball — a great time
  19. cap — a lid
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. cap — a hat
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. fan — a supporter

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