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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: date · field · staff · pit · branch · fork · vault · file

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. fork — in a road
  3. vault — a safe
  4. date — the fruit
  5. file — a line of people
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — a subject
  8. pit — in a race
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. branch — a division
  11. file — a document
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. staff — a stick
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. file — a tool
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. staff — employees
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. field — farmland
  24. staff — employees

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