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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 120 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: chip · board · field · wave · track · club · file · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. file — a document
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. club — for golf
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. track — a path
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. file — a tool
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. file — a line of people
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. club — for dancing
  23. board — a committee
  24. club — a group

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