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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 120 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: capital · can · season · club · arm · board · craft · content

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. can — to be able to
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. craft — a skill
  6. club — for golf
  7. board — a committee
  8. capital — a city
  9. board — to get on
  10. capital — money
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. craft — boats
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. season — of the year
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — happy
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. club — for dancing
  22. season — in sport
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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