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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 120 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: file · chest · ground · vault · track · pass · rock · club

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. rock — music
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. club — for dancing
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. ground — crushed
  8. rock — a stone
  9. file — a document
  10. chest — of your body
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. ground — the earth
  13. chest — a box
  14. track — to keep track
  15. ground — a position
  16. chest — of your body
  17. vault — a safe
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pass — a permit
  22. track — a song
  23. track — a path
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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