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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: pit · branch · wave · stand · plane · roll · chair · ground

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. roll — a list
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pit — a hole
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pit — in a race
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — crushed

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