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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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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: suit · row · bay · stock · shower · track · board · pitcher

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. row — a line
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. suit — in cards
  7. shower — to wash
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. shower — rain
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. stock — goods
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. board — a committee
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. track — to keep track
  18. board — to get on
  19. suit — clothes
  20. stock — shares
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. suit — to fit
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. row — to paddle

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