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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: tear · firm · ball · race · rash · pit · mark · capital

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. tear — from crying
  3. firm — a company
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. firm — decided
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — hasty
  8. race — the arms race
  9. tear — to rip
  10. ball — a dance
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. race — a contest
  14. pit — a hole
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. firm — steady
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. capital — money
  20. race — humankind
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. mark — a grade
  23. tear — from crying
  24. capital — a city

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