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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.

Make a worksheet

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: plane · fork · date · pitcher · wave · craft · coach · mine

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — boats
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. craft — a skill
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. date — the fruit
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. mine — for digging
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fork — in a road

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