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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: bank · vault · pitch · cue · tear · file

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pitch — completely
  4. tear — from crying
  5. file — a line of people
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — a safe
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. tear — to rip
  11. cue — a hint
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. file — a tool
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. file — a document
  18. bank — for money

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