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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 116 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: mouse · file · nail · racket · field · chip · mate · rush

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. field — for sport
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. chip — to eat
  8. field — farmland
  9. file — a tool
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mate — a friend
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. field — a subject
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a line of people
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. rush — hurry
  24. mouse — the animal

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