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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ball · scale · mug · board · capital · jam · current · fine

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. board — to get on
  4. current — of water
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — a cup
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. mug — to rob
  10. ball — a dance
  11. current — electric
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. current — happening now
  14. scale — size or range
  15. ball — a great time
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. fine — high quality
  18. board — a committee
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. scale — in music
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — a city

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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