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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 · snap · stick · vault · net · dip · wind · file

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a document
  3. snap — to click
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wind — moving air
  7. vault — a safe
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. wind — moving air
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. file — a line of people
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. net — after costs
  23. dip — to sink
  24. pitch — a sports field

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