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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 120 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: race · deal · mate · scale · ground · pitch · vault · snap

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. snap — to click
  6. ground — the earth
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. race — humankind
  9. vault — a safe
  10. deal — to handle
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. race — the arms race
  13. scale — in music
  14. mate — a friend
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — to breed
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. race — a contest
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — completely

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