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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: kick · last · vault · pitcher · chip · firm · chair · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. last — final
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. race — the arms race
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. vault — a safe
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. firm — a company
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. chair — a leader
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. last — to go on
  17. firm — decided
  18. chip — to eat
  19. race — a contest
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. last — finally
  22. firm — steady
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. kick — with a leg

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