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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: bear · fork · cap · nail · calf · land · field · mouse

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cap — of ice
  4. field — farmland
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. land — ground
  10. land — to come down
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. cap — a lid
  14. field — for sport
  15. land — a country
  16. cap — a hat
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bear — the animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. field — a subject

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