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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
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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 · fan · chair · mate · ball · capital · cue · coach

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. race — humankind
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ball — a great time
  7. cue — a hint
  8. mate — a partner
  9. cue — a signal
  10. capital — a city
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. race — a contest
  14. cue — for pool
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mate — a friend
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mate — to breed
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. fan — a supporter

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