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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: stick · pitcher · snap · scale · pitch · vault · wind · rash

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. scale — size or range
  3. rash — a series
  4. vault — a safe
  5. pitch — completely
  6. scale — in music
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. snap — to click
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rash — hasty
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. wind — moving air
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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