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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · current · squash · nail · track · capital · kick · coach

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. kick — in football
  4. current — happening now
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. squash — to crush
  8. capital — a city
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. race — the arms race
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. current — of water
  16. race — a contest
  17. track — a path
  18. squash — the sport
  19. current — electric
  20. track — to keep track
  21. capital — money
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. track — a song

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