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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: prune · track · row · mark · toast · fan · fork · cap

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. toast — bread
  4. track — a song
  5. cap — a lid
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. fork — in a road
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. prune — to trim
  14. track — a path
  15. cap — a hat
  16. mark — a grade
  17. row — a line
  18. row — to paddle
  19. cap — of ice
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. mark — a trace
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. row — a quarrel

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