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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. stem — to come from
  5. club — for dancing
  6. capital — money
  7. pop — soda
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. board — a committee
  10. club — a group
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. board — to get on
  13. pop — to visit
  14. can — a tin
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. club — for golf
  17. can — to be able to
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. fork — in a road
  21. pop — music
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. can — a tin
  24. board — a flat piece

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