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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 116 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: wave · race · swing · capital · key · mark · pass · mug

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mug — a face
  3. capital — a city
  4. mug — a cup
  5. race — humankind
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. swing — music
  9. key — in music
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. swing — to play on
  14. race — the arms race
  15. pass — a permit
  16. capital — money
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. swing — in golf
  21. race — a contest
  22. key — the most important part
  23. mark — a trace
  24. wave — with your hand

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