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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · kid · degree · vault · mug · stock · track · swing

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — to rob
  4. swing — music
  5. vault — a safe
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. swing — to play on
  8. stock — shares
  9. degree — from a university
  10. file — a tool
  11. degree — an amount
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. track — to keep track
  14. file — a document
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. track — a song
  18. degree — temperature
  19. stock — goods
  20. track — a path
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — to tease
  23. swing — in golf
  24. mug — a face

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