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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: file · field · nail · cue · arm · fine · rash · season

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. season — in sport
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. fine — high quality
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cue — for pool
  10. field — for sport
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. season — of the year
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. file — a document
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. file — a line of people
  18. cue — a hint
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. field — farmland
  22. fine — all right
  23. file — a tool
  24. field — a subject

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