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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: jam · file · stock · plane · cue · capital · charge · mine

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. cue — for pool
  4. stock — shares
  5. capital — a city
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mine — for digging
  8. plane — a tool
  9. file — a tool
  10. charge — in control
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. file — a line of people
  13. stock — goods
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. charge — electricity
  16. cue — a signal
  17. capital — money
  18. cue — a hint
  19. file — a document
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. charge — a price
  24. capital — a big letter

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