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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: capital · current · degree · bay · rock · nail · race · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. degree — temperature
  5. rock — music
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. race — humankind
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — from a university
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. rock — a stone
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. current — electric
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. current — happening now
  22. capital — money
  23. current — of water
  24. race — a contest

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