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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: band · board · present · tear · wake · file · track · bowl

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. tear — from crying
  3. board — a committee
  4. file — a tool
  5. track — a path
  6. band — a music group
  7. file — a document
  8. board — to get on
  9. track — a song
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. file — a line of people
  13. track — to keep track
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. present — the time now
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. tear — from crying
  20. band — a ring
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — there
  24. tear — to rip

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