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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 120 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: field · can · scale · lash · fine · lie · mark · bat

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. fine — all right
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. can — a tin
  6. lie — to recline
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. can — a tin
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bat — the animal
  13. can — to be able to
  14. fine — high quality
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — for sport
  17. mark — a grade
  18. field — a subject
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. mark — a trace
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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