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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 116 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: row · file · hand · fall · stock · firm · board · track

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. row — a line
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. file — a tool
  7. firm — decided
  8. board — to get on
  9. firm — a company
  10. stock — goods
  11. row — to paddle
  12. fall — to drop
  13. firm — steady
  14. file — a line of people
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. hand — in cards
  17. board — a committee
  18. stock — shares
  19. track — a path
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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