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

Word bank: racket · arm · capital · charge · chair · race

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. chair — a leader
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. capital — a city
  5. race — the arms race
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. race — humankind
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. race — a contest
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. capital — money

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