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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 · cap · capital · nail · charge · wave · bound · craft

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. charge — electricity
  3. capital — a city
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bound — certain
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. charge — in control
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. cap — a hat
  17. craft — boats
  18. capital — money
  19. bound — obliged
  20. cap — of ice
  21. charge — a price
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wave — of the sea

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