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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: board · file · row · season · net · roll · pass · mine

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. file — a tool
  3. board — a committee
  4. file — a document
  5. row — to paddle
  6. season — in sport
  7. net — in sport
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. board — to get on
  13. pass — a permit
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. net — after costs
  16. file — a line of people
  17. net — for catching
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — a cake
  20. season — of the year
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — for digging
  24. row — a line

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