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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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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 · march · key · fall · deal · stand · branch · fork

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fall — to drop
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. key — the most important part
  10. fall — the season
  11. march — the month
  12. key — for a lock
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. key — in music
  16. march — music
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  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