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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: file · degree · track · ground · ruler · present · bass · vault

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. ground — a position
  3. file — a line of people
  4. present — the time now
  5. file — a document
  6. bass — the fish
  7. present — there
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. track — to keep track
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. ground — crushed
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bass — low music
  15. present — a gift
  16. degree — temperature
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. degree — an amount
  20. ground — the earth
  21. file — a tool
  22. degree — from a university
  23. track — a song
  24. ruler — a monarch

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