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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: vault · rush · track · file · cue · hide · branch · pitcher

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. rush — hurry
  6. file — a document
  7. track — a path
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. vault — a safe
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. cue — a hint
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cue — a signal
  19. track — to keep track
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. cue — for pool
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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