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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: sharp · mouse · band · chip · nail · fan · season · board

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. band — a music group
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. board — a committee
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. season — in sport
  11. chip — for betting
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. season — of the year
  14. board — to get on
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. band — a ring
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. chip — to eat
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. sharp — exactly

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