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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 116 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: stick · pit · vault · firm · patient · sharp · club · race

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. race — humankind
  3. club — for golf
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. race — the arms race
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. firm — decided
  11. club — a group
  12. pit — in a race
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. club — for dancing
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pit — a hole
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. sharp — clever
  20. firm — a company
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. race — a contest
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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