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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: pound · vault · rest · roll · wake · can · field · file

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. vault — a safe
  3. field — for sport
  4. roll — a cake
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. can — a tin
  12. field — a subject
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. file — a document
  16. roll — a list
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. wake — a trail
  19. can — a tin
  20. rest — a break
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. can — to be able to
  23. field — farmland
  24. file — a line of people

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