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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: ruler · bulb · stock · suit · race · pitch · vault · rush

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. race — the arms race
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. race — humankind
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. suit — in cards
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bulb — for light
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. suit — clothes
  22. pitch — completely
  23. race — a contest
  24. bulb — of a plant

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