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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 120 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: race · file · present · wake · suit · capital

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. 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. present — a gift
  2. race — the arms race
  3. present — the time now
  4. file — a document
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — humankind
  8. suit — to fit
  9. file — a tool
  10. capital — a city
  11. present — there
  12. suit — in cards
  13. wake — a trail
  14. file — a line of people
  15. capital — money
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. 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