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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 116 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: march · tube · fan · lean · fork · scale · board · chair

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. march — the month
  3. tube — a container
  4. scale — size or range
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. board — to get on
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. chair — a leader
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. tube — the underground
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. scale — in music
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. fork — in a road
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. lean — to bend
  24. board — a committee

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