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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: squash · net · rest · current · snap · pitch · vault · bore

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — to crush
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. squash — the sport
  6. net — in sport
  7. current — of water
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. net — after costs
  13. current — happening now
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. snap — to click
  16. current — electric
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bore — to drill
  19. net — for catching
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. vault — a safe
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bore — gave birth

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