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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: mug · kick · mate · pop · jam · capital · content · stand

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. capital — money
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. kick — in football
  7. mate — a partner
  8. pop — music
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. pop — soda
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mate — a friend
  16. capital — a city
  17. content — the amount
  18. stand — to bear
  19. content — happy
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. mug — a face
  22. mate — to breed
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. pop — to visit

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