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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: current · charge · chest · deal · capital · race · fall · ruler

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. capital — money
  5. fall — the season
  6. capital — a city
  7. charge — in control
  8. chest — of your body
  9. race — the arms race
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. current — electric
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. race — a contest
  14. fall — to drop
  15. charge — a price
  16. fall — to drop
  17. current — of water
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. chest — a box
  20. deal — to handle
  21. chest — of your body
  22. charge — electricity
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. current — happening now

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