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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. season — in sport
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. pound — a weight
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. game — a match
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. season — of the year
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. game — wild animals
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. club — a group
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — all right
  24. game — a kind of play

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