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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: scale · chip · wake · rash · net · cue · pit · vault

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. chip — for betting
  6. net — in sport
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. rash — a series
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cue — for pool
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. scale — size or range
  15. net — for catching
  16. pit — in a race
  17. cue — a signal
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. chip — to eat
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wake — a trail
  22. rash — hasty
  23. net — after costs
  24. rash — on the skin

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