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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 120 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: arm · tube · race · fine · branch · capital · last · pit

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. capital — a city
  4. pit — a hole
  5. fine — high quality
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. last — final
  13. last — to go on
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fine — all right
  18. pit — in a race
  19. race — a contest
  20. capital — money
  21. last — finally
  22. race — the arms race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. branch — a division

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