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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chest · scale · fine · tube · lie · mark · board · fork

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. scale — in music
  3. fine — all right
  4. board — a committee
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mark — a trace
  7. fine — high quality
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. tube — a container
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. chest — of your body
  15. lie — to recline
  16. board — to get on
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. mark — a grade
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chest — a box
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. fork — in a road

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