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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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Word bank
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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 · field · racket · race · mine · sharp · fan · firm

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — the arms race
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. firm — a company
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. field — farmland
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. field — for sport
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. firm — decided
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mine — for digging
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. sharp — clever
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. field — a subject
  23. race — a contest
  24. firm — steady

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