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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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Word bank
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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: pass · fork · race · mate · capital · mug

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. capital — money
  4. mug — a cup
  5. fork — in a road
  6. race — humankind
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mug — a face
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — a partner
  12. capital — a city
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mug — to rob
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. race — the arms race
  17. pass — a permit
  18. fork — a garden tool

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