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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: bowl · vault · snap · wind · fan · pass · pitch · bank

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bank — for money
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pitch — completely
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. snap — to click
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. wind — moving air
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bank — for money

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