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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 120 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: wake · content · fork · capital · nail · bear · bay · can

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. content — the amount
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. capital — a city
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. can — a tin
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — happy
  17. can — a tin
  18. capital — money
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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