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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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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 · chip · snap · race · swing · vault

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — a safe
  5. swing — in golf
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. race — humankind
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. race — the arms race
  10. snap — to click
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. swing — to play on
  15. race — a contest
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. chip — for betting
  18. swing — music

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