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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: track · file · squash · vault · stand · game · sharp · roll

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. game — a match
  3. roll — a cake
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. file — a line of people
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. vault — a safe
  9. track — a song
  10. stand — to bear
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. squash — the sport
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. file — a tool
  17. sharp — clever
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. file — a document
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. roll — a list
  24. game — wild animals

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