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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: sharp · pitcher · mate · rash · track · branch · plane · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. branch — a division
  3. rash — hasty
  4. march — music
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mate — to breed
  13. track — a path
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rash — a series
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. plane — a tool
  21. march — the month
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. sharp — clever
  24. branch — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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