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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: cap · mark · capital · roll · jam · club · staff · wave

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a city
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. cap — of ice
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. club — for dancing
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. staff — a stick
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — a hat
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. club — for golf
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. staff — employees
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. roll — a list
  18. staff — employees
  19. roll — a cake
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  24. club — a group

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