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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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Word bank
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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: nail · file · can · mark · cue · chair · club · spring

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. file — a document
  3. can — to be able to
  4. chair — a leader
  5. cue — for pool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cue — a hint
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. club — a group
  11. mark — a trace
  12. spring — the season
  13. file — a tool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. spring — of water
  17. club — for golf
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. spring — a coil
  21. mark — a grade
  22. club — for dancing
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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