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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: board · vault · nail · scale · staff · file · field · trunk

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. staff — employees
  3. board — a committee
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. field — for sport
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. board — to get on
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. staff — employees
  12. field — a subject
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. staff — a stick
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. vault — a safe
  18. field — farmland
  19. file — a document
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. file — a tool
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. scale — in music
  24. board — a flat piece

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