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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: cue · file · craft · board · roll · track · bark · bay

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. track — a song
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. file — a tool
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. roll — a cake
  12. board — a committee
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a document
  17. bark — to shout
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. roll — a list
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. board — to get on
  23. craft — a skill
  24. track — a path

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