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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 120 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: scale · snap · race · vault · press · pass · net · bowl

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. snap — to speak sharply
  2. vault — a safe
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pass — a permit
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. net — in sport
  8. scale — size or range
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — humankind
  12. press — to push
  13. net — for catching
  14. race — a contest
  15. press — newspapers
  16. net — after costs
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. scale — in music
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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