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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. race — a contest
  3. suit — to fit
  4. race — the arms race
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a skill
  7. spell — magic
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. branch — a division
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — letters
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. race — humankind
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. suit — in cards
  20. capital — money
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. cue — a hint
  24. suit — clothes

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