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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: racket · capital · pitcher · leaves · drill · stand · plane · march

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. capital — a city
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. plane — a tool
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. capital — money
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. drill — a practice
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stand — to bear
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. drill — the tool
  20. march — music
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. march — the month
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. march — the month

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