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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: fork · pop · plane · bank · season · last · march · object

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. season — in sport
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. march — the month
  6. season — of the year
  7. bank — of a river
  8. plane — a tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bank — for money
  11. march — the month
  12. pop — music
  13. object — a thing
  14. fork — in a road
  15. last — final
  16. last — to go on
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — to visit
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bank — for money
  23. march — music
  24. plane — in geometry

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