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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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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: rest · capital · racket · safe · fan · race · key · stand

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. key — the most important part
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. capital — a city
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stand — to bear
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — the arms race
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. key — in music
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. key — for a lock
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rest — what's left
  20. capital — money
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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