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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 120 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 · kick · can · board · rule · scale · track

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. track — a song
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. rule — a law
  7. row — a line
  8. can — a tin
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a line of people
  11. can — a tin
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. file — a tool
  14. track — to keep track
  15. board — a committee
  16. row — to paddle
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. kick — in football
  20. track — a path
  21. can — to be able to
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. scale — in music
  24. rule — government

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