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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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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. snap — to click
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. chip — to eat
  7. cue — for pool
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. file — a tool
  10. season — of the year
  11. file — a line of people
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. roll — a cake
  15. cue — a signal
  16. field — farmland
  17. roll — a list
  18. field — for sport
  19. cue — a hint
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. field — a subject
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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