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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: pitch · vault · snap · chip · bank · ruler · wound · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bank — for money
  3. vault — a safe
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. chip — for betting
  12. wound — an injury
  13. chip — to eat
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bank — of a river
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bank — for money
  23. wound — an injury
  24. snap — to click

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