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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.

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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: squash · nail · chip · coach · leaves · wave · track · field

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — a subject
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. squash — the sport
  6. track — to keep track
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. field — for sport
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. squash — to crush
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. chip — to eat
  18. track — a path
  19. chip — for betting
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. track — a song
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. chip — in a computer

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