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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: fine · tear · file · bank · vault · band · court · pitch

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. file — a line of people
  3. tear — from crying
  4. file — a tool
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bank — for money
  7. pitch — completely
  8. vault — a safe
  9. fine — all right
  10. bank — of a river
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. band — a ring
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. court — for sport
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. band — a music group
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. tear — from crying
  23. file — a document
  24. 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