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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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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: pitcher · bass · vault · chip · lean · craft · row · snap

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. row — to paddle
  3. chip — to eat
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. snap — to click
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. row — a line
  12. lean — thin
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. chip — for betting
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bass — the fish
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. lean — to bend
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bass — low music
  24. craft — boats

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