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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: board · toast · lie · degree · scale · prune · fine · tube

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. degree — from a university
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. prune — to trim
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. lie — to recline
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. scale — in music
  10. degree — an amount
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. tube — a container
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. tube — the underground
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. fine — high quality
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. board — a committee
  22. scale — size or range
  23. board — to get on
  24. degree — temperature

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