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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: racket · bound · race · leaves · ground · pit · capital · saw

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pit — in a race
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. race — a contest
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. capital — money
  9. bound — obliged
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bound — tied together
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. ground — the earth
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. ground — a position
  17. race — the arms race
  18. capital — a city
  19. pit — a hole
  20. saw — the tool
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ground — crushed
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. race — humankind

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