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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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Word bank
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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: vault · fork · mate · file · press · track

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. press — to push
  4. track — to keep track
  5. file — a line of people
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fork — in a road
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mate — a friend
  10. press — newspapers
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mate — a partner
  13. vault — a safe
  14. mate — to breed
  15. file — a tool
  16. track — a path
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. track — a song

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