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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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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: club · vault · snap · arm · pitcher · rush · land · safe

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. snap — to click
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. land — to come down
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. club — a group
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. club — for golf
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. land — a country
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rush — hurry
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. club — for dancing
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. land — ground
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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