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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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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: vault · scale · wind · firm · snap · tube · chip · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. fork — in a road
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — decided
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. tube — a container
  11. scale — size or range
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. scale — in music
  14. chip — for betting
  15. wind — moving air
  16. chip — to eat
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. firm — steady
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. wind — moving air

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