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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: fork · scale · stand · mine · wax · plane · race · branch

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. race — a contest
  7. fork — in a road
  8. mine — for digging
  9. scale — in music
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. stand — to bear
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wax — to grow
  14. branch — a division
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. race — the arms race
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. race — humankind
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. scale — size or range

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