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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: race · bat · current · arm · mate · fine · capital · stem

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. mate — a friend
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mate — to breed
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — money
  11. fine — all right
  12. current — happening now
  13. mate — a partner
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. current — of water
  16. bat — the animal
  17. race — humankind
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. race — a contest
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. current — electric
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. fine — high quality
  24. stem — to come from

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