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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: pass · field · squash · bay · vault · file · board · press

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. field — a subject
  3. press — to push
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. board — a committee
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. field — for sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. press — a publisher
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. pass — a permit
  18. squash — the sport
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. board — to get on
  21. file — a line of people
  22. field — farmland
  23. file — a document
  24. vault — a safe

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