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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: fan · fork · track · bay · capital · mark · plane · spell

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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. fork — in a road
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. mark — a trace
  5. capital — money
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a path
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. spell — magic
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. capital — a city
  15. spell — letters
  16. plane — a tool
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. track — a song
  20. mark — a grade
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. spell — a short time
  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