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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 116 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: drill · vault · game · field · file · bay · pitch · track

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. game — a match
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a document
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — the tool
  11. field — a subject
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pitch — completely
  14. field — farmland
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. track — a song
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. field — for sport
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a path

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