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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: race · pit · firm · fine · vault · cell

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — high quality
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. cell — a phone
  10. pit — in a race
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. vault — a safe
  14. firm — decided
  15. pit — a hole
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — humankind
  18. cell — in biology

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