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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 120 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: can · last · race · mug · vault · firm · pitch · hand

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. mug — to rob
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. mug — a face
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — a contest
  10. can — to be able to
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. last — final
  14. firm — a company
  15. race — humankind
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — steady
  18. last — to go on
  19. hand — help
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. last — finally
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. can — a tin
  24. mug — a cup

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