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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: court · capital · charge · plane · race · staff · pass · rash

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — a contest
  3. pass — a permit
  4. charge — electricity
  5. staff — employees
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. charge — a price
  10. staff — employees
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. court — of a king
  13. capital — money
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. rash — a series
  17. court — of law
  18. court — for sport
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. staff — a stick
  21. race — the arms race
  22. plane — a tool
  23. capital — a city
  24. charge — in control

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