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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 124 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: last · chip · sharp · mate · fall · key · field · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. mate — a partner
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mate — a friend
  7. chip — for betting
  8. fall — to drop
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fall — the season
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. club — for dancing
  13. field — a subject
  14. club — a group
  15. key — for a lock
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. field — for sport
  18. key — the most important part
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. key — in music
  21. last — final
  22. sharp — clever
  23. mate — to breed
  24. field — farmland

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