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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: hide · bear · fork · field · mug · can

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. field — farmland
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bear — the animal
  9. can — a tin
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. field — for sport
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — to rob
  16. field — a subject
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to

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