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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: pit · board · scale · foot · fan · ball · toast · fine

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. ball — a great time
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. foot — a measure
  10. fine — all right
  11. scale — in music
  12. toast — bread
  13. fine — high quality
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. board — to get on
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pit — in a race
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pit — a hole
  22. scale — size or range
  23. ball — a dance
  24. toast — the most admired

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