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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: fan · field · chair · fine · season · nail · sharp · game

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. field — for sport
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. game — wild animals
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. season — in sport
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. field — farmland
  17. season — of the year
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. fine — all right
  22. chair — a leader
  23. field — a subject
  24. game — a match

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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