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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 116 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: staff · pop · race · pit · capital · craft · rock · mate

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. rock — music
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a friend
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. race — the arms race
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — to visit
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. craft — a skill
  14. mate — a partner
  15. staff — employees
  16. race — a contest
  17. staff — employees
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. staff — a stick
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. capital — a city
  22. craft — boats
  23. pit — in a race
  24. capital — money

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