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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: bulb · wound · board · patient · capital · rest · ground · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. rest — what's left
  3. board — a committee
  4. ground — crushed
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — to get on
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. capital — a city
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wound — an injury
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. capital — money
  16. rest — what's left
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bulb — for light
  19. ground — a position
  20. rest — a break
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bulb — of a plant

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