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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mate — a partner
  8. field — a subject
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. game — a match
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. field — for sport
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. season — of the year
  22. field — farmland
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — to breed

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