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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: file · bass · track · row · bay · ground · board · rush

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. ground — a position
  3. row — to paddle
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. track — a song
  7. board — to get on
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bass — the fish
  10. ground — crushed
  11. row — a line
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. ground — the earth
  14. file — a line of people
  15. rush — hurry
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. track — a path
  21. file — a tool
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bass — low music
  24. board — a committee

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