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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: fall · pass · plane · march · trunk · pitcher · court · branch

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. march — the month
  4. court — of a king
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. court — for sport
  7. fall — to drop
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. fall — to drop
  11. court — of law
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. branch — a division
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. pass — a permit
  18. march — music
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. fall — the season
  23. plane — a tool
  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