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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: pitcher · rock · fan · file · vault · saw · chair · field

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. file — a line of people
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. field — for sport
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. field — farmland
  9. rock — music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rock — a stone
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. file — a document
  15. field — a subject
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. vault — a safe
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. file — a tool
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chair — a leader
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. chair — to sit on

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