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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.

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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: plane · deal · track · fork · lie · cabinet · march · racket

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. track — a path
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. march — the month
  8. deal — to handle
  9. fork — in a road
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. march — music
  13. track — to keep track
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. plane — a tool
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. track — a song
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. march — the month
  24. plane — an aircraft

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