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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: mark · race · pit · mate · root · capital · staff · pop

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. pit — a hole
  5. staff — a stick
  6. capital — a city
  7. pop — soda
  8. race — humankind
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mate — a friend
  12. pit — in a race
  13. root — of a word
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. race — the arms race
  17. root — of a plant
  18. race — a contest
  19. staff — employees
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. root — the cause
  22. pop — music
  23. mark — a grade
  24. staff — employees

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