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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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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: capital · board · jam · tube · key · rest · arm · present

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. board — to get on
  6. key — in music
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. present — the time now
  9. tube — a container
  10. key — for a lock
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. tube — the underground
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. capital — money
  17. rest — what's left
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. present — a gift
  20. key — the most important part
  21. present — there
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. capital — a city

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