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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.

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: field · nail · season · ball · game · staff · row · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. row — a line
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. field — a subject
  5. ball — a dance
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. row — to paddle
  8. game — wild animals
  9. season — of the year
  10. staff — a stick
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. season — in sport
  15. field — for sport
  16. chip — to eat
  17. ball — a great time
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. field — farmland
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — a match
  24. nail — for a hammer

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