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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · game · vault · suit · sharp · cell · band · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. cell — a phone
  4. game — wild animals
  5. file — a tool
  6. band — a music group
  7. fine — high quality
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — clever
  10. fine — all right
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. file — a line of people
  13. suit — to fit
  14. band — a ring
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. cell — in biology
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. game — a match
  19. file — a document
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — a safe
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — in cards

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