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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: root · saw · press · file · row · rash · roll · stock

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — a cake
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stock — shares
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. root — of a word
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. row — a line
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — newspapers
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. file — a tool
  18. root — the cause
  19. stock — goods
  20. root — of a plant
  21. saw — the tool
  22. press — to push
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. rash — hasty

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