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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: race · vault · present · club · racket · sharp

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. club — for golf
  3. present — a gift
  4. race — a contest
  5. club — for dancing
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. present — the time now
  9. club — a group
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. race — humankind
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. present — there
  18. sharp — exactly

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