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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: fork · fan · toast · degree · vault · lean · track · cue

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. track — a song
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. track — to keep track
  5. cue — for pool
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — bread
  9. degree — temperature
  10. vault — a safe
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. track — a path
  13. fork — in a road
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lean — to bend
  17. cue — a hint
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — from a university
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. cue — a signal
  24. lean — thin

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