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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: arm · race · bay · field · last · vault · branch · pitch

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. race — humankind
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. race — a contest
  5. vault — a safe
  6. branch — a division
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. last — finally
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. field — farmland
  12. pitch — completely
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. last — final
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. field — for sport
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. last — to go on
  24. arm — part of the body

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