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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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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: race · row · capital · current · vault · rash · cue · coach

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. race — the arms race
  3. rash — hasty
  4. row — a line
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. current — of water
  7. race — a contest
  8. vault — a safe
  9. current — happening now
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. race — humankind
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. cue — a hint
  14. row — to paddle
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. rash — a series
  18. cue — a signal
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a city
  24. cue — for pool

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