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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: vault · pitch · race · stick · bulb · firm

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. firm — steady
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. firm — decided
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. race — the arms race
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. firm — a company
  18. race — humankind

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