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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 120 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
468
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: row · rock · chair · file · bulb · fine · mate · field

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. rock — a stone
  3. field — for sport
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. field — farmland
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. file — a tool
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rock — music
  12. file — a document
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. row — a line
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. file — a line of people
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bulb — for light
  22. field — a subject
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. chair — to sit on

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