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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: wax · suit · jam · chip · capital · calf · rush · season

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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 — a tight spot
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — in cards
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. chip — for betting
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. season — in sport
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. season — of the year
  15. chip — to eat
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. suit — to fit
  22. capital — money
  23. rush — hurry
  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