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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: race · key · kick · fine · staff · mark · arm · capital

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fine — all right
  3. key — for a lock
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. staff — employees
  6. race — humankind
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. capital — money
  10. key — in music
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mark — a trace
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. kick — in football
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — the arms race
  21. key — the most important part
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. mark — a grade
  24. capital — a city

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