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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: rash · file · row · mouse · pop · mine · board · cue

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. row — to paddle
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. cue — a signal
  5. file — a line of people
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pop — soda
  8. file — a document
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. file — a tool
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. row — a line
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. cue — a hint
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — a series
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mouse — the animal

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