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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: bat · stand · chip · board · row · trunk · rock · track

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bat — the animal
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. stand — to bear
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. row — to paddle
  14. chip — for betting
  15. row — a line
  16. board — a committee
  17. track — to keep track
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. board — to get on
  20. track — a song
  21. rock — music
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. track — a path
  24. bat — in an idiom

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