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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: stock · chip · cabinet · file · bass · row · board · rock

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. stock — shares
  9. chip — for betting
  10. rock — music
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. board — a committee
  14. bass — low music
  15. file — a tool
  16. row — a line
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. stock — goods
  19. bass — the fish
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. rock — a stone

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