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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.

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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 · band · key · stock · coach · bound · fork · last

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bound — tied together
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. key — in music
  5. stock — shares
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. last — final
  12. bound — certain
  13. key — the most important part
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. last — finally
  16. band — a music group
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fork — in a road
  19. key — for a lock
  20. stock — goods
  21. bound — obliged
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. last — to go on

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