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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 · can · kid · key · scale · stand · race · chip

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. chip — to eat
  3. key — for a lock
  4. race — humankind
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. stand — to bear
  7. can — a tin
  8. key — in music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. kid — to tease
  11. race — a contest
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. kid — child
  15. capital — money
  16. chip — for betting
  17. capital — a city
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. scale — in music
  20. can — to be able to
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. can — a tin

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