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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: roll · march · pitcher · lean · fine · toast · track · can

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. track — to keep track
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. march — music
  6. can — a tin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. track — a song
  9. can — a tin
  10. track — a path
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. lean — thin
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — a cake
  16. march — the month
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. march — the month
  23. fine — all right
  24. can — to be able to

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