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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: mouse · chest · ground · craft · snap · club · vault · scale

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. ground — the earth
  3. chest — of your body
  4. ground — a position
  5. club — for dancing
  6. snap — to click
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. craft — boats
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. scale — size or range
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. scale — in music
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. vault — a safe

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