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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: fan · track · pass · rock · capital · game · trunk · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. track — to keep track
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rock — a stone
  6. capital — a city
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. rock — music
  9. race — a contest
  10. game — wild animals
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. race — the arms race
  13. track — a path
  14. pass — a permit
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. capital — money
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. track — a song
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. game — a match

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