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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: roll · stock · track · firm · file · ruler · present · row

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. present — there
  3. row — a line
  4. firm — a company
  5. track — a path
  6. roll — a cake
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — steady
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stock — shares
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — to paddle
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. present — a gift
  17. file — a tool
  18. track — to keep track
  19. file — a document
  20. roll — a list
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. track — a song
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. present — the time now

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