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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: club · fan · field · leaves · nail · chip · cabinet · mark

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — for sport
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. field — farmland
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. mark — a grade
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. club — a group
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. club — for dancing
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. club — for golf
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. mark — a trace

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