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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: arm · race · row · press · staff · capital · stick · mark

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. staff — employees
  4. capital — money
  5. staff — employees
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — a contest
  8. row — to paddle
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — to push
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. staff — a stick
  18. mark — a grade
  19. row — a line
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. mark — a trace
  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