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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 120 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: file · pit · last · swing · vault · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — a safe
  6. deal — to handle
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. last — finally
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. swing — to play on
  12. pit — in a race
  13. file — a document
  14. pit — a hole
  15. last — to go on
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — in golf
  18. last — final

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