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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: wave · mark · fork · cap · bear · field · firm · nail

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. mark — a grade
  7. cap — a lid
  8. field — farmland
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. firm — a company
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. firm — steady
  15. mark — a trace
  16. fork — in a road
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. firm — decided
  19. field — a subject
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. field — for sport
  24. nail — for a hammer

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