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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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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 · fork · cap · rash · bank · capital · wake · charge

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. race — the arms race
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bank — of a river
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. race — humankind
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. cap — a lid
  11. rash — hasty
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. charge — electricity
  15. race — a contest
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. capital — a city
  18. charge — a price
  19. capital — money
  20. rash — a series
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bank — for money
  23. cap — a hat
  24. charge — in control

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