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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: row · band · chip · toast · wake · roll · firm · file

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. file — a line of people
  3. row — to paddle
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. row — a line
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. band — a music group
  13. firm — a company
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. firm — decided
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. firm — steady
  18. toast — bread
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. roll — a cake
  22. chip — to eat
  23. band — a ring
  24. chip — for betting

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