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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: nail · season · fan · mark · mate · stock · hide · game

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. season — in sport
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. mate — a partner
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mark — a trace
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. game — wild animals
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — shares
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mark — a grade
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. game — a match
  24. stock — goods

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