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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 · rule · file · roll · key · cue · board · bay

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. row — a line
  3. file — a document
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. key — for a lock
  7. cue — a signal
  8. key — the most important part
  9. board — a committee
  10. roll — a cake
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. board — to get on
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. key — in music
  16. rule — government
  17. file — a tool
  18. rule — a law
  19. file — a line of people
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. cue — for pool
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. cue — a hint
  24. roll — on a roll

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