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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. race — a contest
  4. object — a thing
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. object — an aim
  8. race — humankind
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — to breed
  11. ball — a great time
  12. race — the arms race
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mate — a partner
  16. stem — to come from
  17. ball — a dance
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. object — to protest
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a big letter

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