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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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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: club · object · march · jam · charge · bay · cell · capital

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. club — for dancing
  5. object — an aim
  6. charge — electricity
  7. march — the month
  8. object — a thing
  9. cell — in biology
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. club — for golf
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. march — the month
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. club — a group
  18. march — music
  19. object — to protest
  20. charge — in control
  21. cell — a phone
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — money
  24. charge — a price

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