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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: file · vault · board · pit · wake · leaves · band · toast

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. band — a music group
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. board — to get on
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. file — a document
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. file — a tool
  18. band — a ring
  19. vault — a safe
  20. pit — a hole
  21. toast — bread
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. file — a line of people

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