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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.

Make a worksheet

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: can · arm · capital · object · pitcher · temple · jam · wind

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. can — to be able to
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. object — to protest
  6. can — a tin
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. can — a tin
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. object — a thing
  16. capital — money
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. capital — a city
  21. wind — moving air
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. wind — moving air
  24. arm — part of the body

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