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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: toast · bulb · cap · content · fork · track · staff · bank

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. fork — in a road
  3. cap — a lid
  4. content — happy
  5. track — to keep track
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. staff — employees
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. cap — of ice
  10. staff — a stick
  11. toast — bread
  12. bulb — for light
  13. track — a path
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bank — for money
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. content — the amount
  20. track — a song
  21. staff — employees
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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