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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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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: mark · fall · board · track · chair · chip · stick · scale

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. chair — a leader
  3. board — a committee
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mark — a grade
  6. scale — in music
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. fall — the season
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. track — a song
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. mark — a trace
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. scale — size or range
  24. fall — to drop

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