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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: arm · wound · rush · capital · jam · can · charge · bound

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. charge — in control
  3. bound — obliged
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. charge — a price
  7. bound — tied together
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. can — to be able to
  11. charge — electricity
  12. capital — money
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. can — a tin
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bound — certain
  20. can — a tin
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. rush — hurry
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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