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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: jam · stock · staff · toast · cap · tube · capital · mate

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. tube — the underground
  5. capital — a city
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. stock — goods
  11. mate — a partner
  12. cap — of ice
  13. tube — a container
  14. capital — money
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. cap — a lid
  17. stock — shares
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — to breed
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. cap — a hat
  22. toast — bread
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. staff — employees

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