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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.

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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: suit · ground · plane · ball · march · fall · sharp · track

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. ball — a great time
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. suit — in cards
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — a position
  12. march — the month
  13. ground — the earth
  14. march — the month
  15. fall — the season
  16. suit — clothes
  17. ball — a dance
  18. sharp — clever
  19. fall — to drop
  20. march — music
  21. plane — a tool
  22. track — to keep track
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. suit — to fit

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