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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: shower · trunk · pit · chair · stand · march · scale · plane

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. march — the month
  3. scale — size or range
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — to wash
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. march — music
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pit — in a race
  13. march — the month
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pit — a hole
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. shower — rain
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. plane — a tool
  22. scale — in music
  23. chair — a leader
  24. stand — to bear

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