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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: racket · leaves · cap · vault · field · fine · file · trunk

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. field — farmland
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. cap — a lid
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. file — a line of people
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. field — for sport
  16. vault — a safe
  17. field — a subject
  18. fine — all right
  19. file — a tool
  20. cap — a hat
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. cap — of ice
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. file — a document

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