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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: mark · bank · file · row · roll · cabinet · club · stand

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. stand — to bear
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. club — for golf
  13. file — a line of people
  14. mark — a grade
  15. row — a line
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. roll — a cake
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. file — a document
  21. mark — a trace
  22. roll — a list
  23. file — a tool
  24. row — to paddle

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