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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: capital · board · bulb · bay · jam · trunk · rock · rest

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. capital — a city
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. rock — a stone
  5. capital — money
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bulb — for light
  9. board — a committee
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rock — music
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. rest — a break
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. board — to get on
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. trunk — of a tree

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