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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: bound · ground · vault · pitch · track · file · ball · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. ball — a great time
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. vault — a safe
  8. file — a document
  9. ball — a dance
  10. file — a tool
  11. ground — crushed
  12. file — a line of people
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. track — a song
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — a position
  18. bound — certain
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pitch — completely
  23. track — a path
  24. pass — to spend time

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