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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: file · vault · squash · field · ball · rush · bank · nail

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. field — for sport
  3. bank — of a river
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bank — for money
  7. file — a tool
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bank — for money
  11. vault — a safe
  12. field — farmland
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rush — hurry
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ball — a great time
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. squash — to crush
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. field — a subject
  23. squash — the sport
  24. ball — a round shape

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