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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: calf · file · board · date · present · staff · track · firm

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. track — a song
  3. staff — a stick
  4. track — to keep track
  5. present — there
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. file — a line of people
  11. date — the fruit
  12. firm — a company
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. track — a path
  15. firm — steady
  16. file — a tool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. firm — decided
  21. present — the time now
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. file — a document

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