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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · stem · file · board · mate · stick · row · pitcher

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. file — a line of people
  6. row — a line
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pop — to visit
  10. row — to paddle
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mate — a partner
  13. stem — to come from
  14. file — a tool
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. file — a document
  18. board — a committee
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — music
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mate — to breed
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stem — of a plant

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