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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 · club · plane · pit · squash · deal · jam · arm

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. pit — a hole
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. capital — a city
  9. deal — to handle
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. club — for golf
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pit — in a race
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. capital — money
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. club — a group
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — a tool
  22. club — for dancing
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. plane — in geometry

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