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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: stock · file · saw · net · current · row · board · track

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. board — a committee
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. current — of water
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. net — after costs
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. track — a song
  12. board — to get on
  13. net — in sport
  14. current — electric
  15. row — a line
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. track — to keep track
  18. file — a document
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. track — a path
  21. net — for catching
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. current — happening now
  24. stock — shares

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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