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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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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: plane · march · court · wax · can · pitch · pit · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. march — the month
  4. can — to be able to
  5. march — music
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. pit — a hole
  10. court — for sport
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. court — of a king
  13. march — the month
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. plane — a tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. court — of law
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. pitch — completely
  24. fork — in a road

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