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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 · rock · fan · net · stand · ruler · pitch · fork

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. net — for catching
  9. stand — to bear
  10. net — in sport
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. fork — in a road
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. rock — music
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. net — after costs
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rock — a stone
  24. fork — to eat with

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