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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: fork · lean · toast · pass · deal · band · ground · nail

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. ground — a position
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. band — a ring
  7. ground — the earth
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. lean — thin
  10. deal — to handle
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pass — a permit
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lean — to bend
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. ground — crushed
  17. band — a music group
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. fork — in a road
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. deal — a big deal

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