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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: net · race · pitcher · rock · capital · tear · board · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. race — the arms race
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tear — to rip
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. key — the most important part
  9. net — after costs
  10. key — for a lock
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. tear — from crying
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — humankind
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. capital — a city
  18. net — for catching
  19. rock — a stone
  20. net — in sport
  21. board — a committee
  22. rock — music
  23. board — to get on
  24. capital — money

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