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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: snap · rule · rush · vault · club · file · toast · scale

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. scale — size or range
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. club — for dancing
  5. snap — to click
  6. scale — in music
  7. vault — a safe
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. club — for golf
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. file — a document
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. rule — government
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. file — a tool
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. file — a line of people
  20. toast — bread
  21. rush — hurry
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. club — a group
  24. toast — the most admired

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