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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: bulb · bear · craft · pitch · fan · arm · race · club

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  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. race — the arms race
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. race — a contest
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. craft — a skill
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. club — for golf
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. race — humankind
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. club — a group
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. club — for dancing
  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