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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 120 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: fork · band · plane · pit · arm · present · hand · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a music group
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. plane — a tool
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. band — a ring
  10. pit — in a race
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. fork — in a road
  13. hand — help
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. pit — a hole
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — there
  23. present — the time now
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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