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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: capital · chest · date · patient · bulb · roll · bay · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. chest — of your body
  3. date — the fruit
  4. roll — a cake
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. chest — a box
  8. roll — a list
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bulb — for light
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. chest — of your body
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bulb — for light
  15. capital — money
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. capital — a city

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