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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — humankind
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. tube — the underground
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. race — the arms race
  9. capital — money
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rash — a series
  17. date — the fruit
  18. branch — a division
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. tube — a container

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