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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: fall · race · club · fine · bulb · mate · track · capital

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. race — a contest
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bulb — for light
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. capital — a city
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. capital — money
  10. club — for golf
  11. track — to keep track
  12. club — for dancing
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. race — humankind
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. mate — to breed
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fine — all right
  21. mate — a friend
  22. club — a group
  23. race — the arms race
  24. mate — a partner

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