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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 · last · charge · pitcher · foot · pass · ball · race

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. charge — in control
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. last — to go on
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. capital — money
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. race — humankind
  11. last — final
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. charge — a price
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. capital — a city
  16. race — the arms race
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pass — a permit
  20. race — a contest
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. foot — a measure
  24. charge — electricity

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