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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: fork · racket · lean · race · plane · track · march · wind

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. race — humankind
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. march — the month
  9. fork — in a road
  10. wind — moving air
  11. march — music
  12. race — a contest
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. track — a song
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. race — the arms race
  17. plane — a tool
  18. track — a path
  19. wind — moving air
  20. lean — thin
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. track — to keep track
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. lean — to bend

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