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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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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 · capital · season · lie · trunk · bulb · club · can

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. season — in sport
  2. capital — a city
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bulb — for light
  12. season — of the year
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — a group
  15. capital — money
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bulb — for light
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. club — for golf
  22. can — a tin
  23. lie — to recline
  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