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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 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  4. capital — money
  5. race — a contest
  6. firm — a company
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. ground — a position
  9. lean — thin
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. mark — a trace
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. firm — decided
  15. ground — crushed
  16. snap — to click
  17. race — humankind
  18. mark — a grade
  19. firm — steady
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. race — the arms race
  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