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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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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: vault · chip · calf · scale · snap · net · file · hand

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. scale — in music
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. file — a tool
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. file — a line of people
  14. chip — to eat
  15. hand — in cards
  16. net — in sport
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chip — for betting
  19. file — a document
  20. scale — size or range
  21. vault — a safe
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — help
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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