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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 116 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: spring · bay · hide · bear · mark · fork · court · cap

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cap — a hat
  5. fork — in a road
  6. spring — of water
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cap — of ice
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. spring — the season
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bear — the animal
  16. court — of a king
  17. spring — a coil
  18. court — for sport
  19. bear — the animal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cap — a lid

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