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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: bat · racket · pitch · rest · race · bass · vault · fall

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. fall — to drop
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bass — low music
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rest — a break
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. fall — the season
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — the animal
  15. rest — what's left
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. rest — what's left
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bass — the fish

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