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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
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: pitcher · plane · chair · fork · field · charge · bass · branch

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. charge — a price
  5. bass — low music
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. field — farmland
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bass — the fish
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. charge — electricity
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. field — a subject
  20. plane — a tool
  21. charge — in control
  22. field — for sport
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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