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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 · spring · jam · cabinet · ruler · capital · tube · spell

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — a container
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. mark — a grade
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. spring — a coil
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. tube — the underground
  9. spring — the season
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. spell — magic
  13. capital — a city
  14. spring — of water
  15. spell — letters
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. capital — money
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. spell — a short time
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. jam — in traffic

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