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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 116 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 · game · sharp · stock · lean · file · key · object

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. object — an aim
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. row — to paddle
  7. key — for a lock
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. row — a line
  11. game — a match
  12. file — a document
  13. object — to protest
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. file — a tool
  16. object — a thing
  17. sharp — clever
  18. game — wild animals
  19. key — in music
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. stock — shares
  23. key — the most important part
  24. stock — goods

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