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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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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: bay · cap · deal · track · lean · fork · drill · toast

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. deal — to handle
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — thin
  5. fork — in a road
  6. cap — of ice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. toast — bread
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. track — to keep track
  12. drill — a practice
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. track — a song
  16. lean — to bend
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. track — a path
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. drill — army training
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — a hat

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