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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.

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: fan · stock · march · pitcher · fork · plane · capital · suit

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. capital — money
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. fork — in a road
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. march — the month
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. suit — to fit
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. suit — clothes
  12. stock — shares
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. capital — a city
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — goods
  18. march — the month
  19. plane — a tool
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. suit — in cards
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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