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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: vault · file · track · coach · pitcher · bore · date · stick

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  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. bore — to tire
  2. track — a path
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bore — to drill
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. vault — a safe
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. file — a tool
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. track — to keep track
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. file — a document
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. track — a song
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bore — gave birth
  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