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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: key · track · squash · capital · vault · mouse · race · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — for a lock
  4. squash — the sport
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. capital — money
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — a contest
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. key — in music
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — a safe
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stand — to bear
  21. squash — to crush
  22. race — the arms race
  23. capital — a city
  24. track — a song

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