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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: staff · arm · capital · content · mug · wax · present · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. mug — a cup
  4. capital — money
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. present — there
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wax — to grow
  11. content — the amount
  12. capital — a city
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. mug — a face
  15. present — a gift
  16. staff — employees
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. staff — a stick
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. staff — employees
  21. mug — to rob
  22. present — the time now
  23. content — happy
  24. wax — in the ear

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