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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 116 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: season · fall · ball · pop · plane · vault · file · game

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. game — wild animals
  3. file — a document
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pop — to visit
  6. vault — a safe
  7. file — a line of people
  8. ball — a great time
  9. pop — music
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. season — of the year
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ball — a dance
  15. pop — soda
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. plane — a tool
  18. season — in sport
  19. fall — the season
  20. game — a match
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. fall — to drop
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. game — a kind of play

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