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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rest · fan · leaves · field · racket · key · chip

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rest — what's left
  3. chip — for betting
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rest — a break
  7. field — farmland
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — in music
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. rest — what's left
  15. field — for sport
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. chip — to eat
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. field — a subject
  24. key — for a lock

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