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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: board · game · stock · bulb · calf · last · row · file

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. file — a tool
  3. game — a match
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bulb — for light
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bulb — for light
  10. last — finally
  11. board — to get on
  12. row — a line
  13. stock — goods
  14. last — final
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. file — a document
  17. stock — shares
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. board — a committee
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. file — a line of people
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. last — to go on

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