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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 · pass · current · straw · race · season · board · cell

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. race — humankind
  6. current — electric
  7. season — of the year
  8. race — a contest
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. capital — money
  12. board — to get on
  13. current — happening now
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. capital — a city
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. cell — in biology
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. cell — a phone
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. board — a committee
  24. current — of water

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