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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: snap · shower · deal · vault · pop · scale · kick · content

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. scale — in music
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. content — the amount
  6. pop — to visit
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pop — soda
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. snap — to click
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — size or range
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. shower — to wash
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. vault — a safe
  20. content — happy
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. kick — a thrill

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