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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: bore · pass · date · capital · fine · jam · tube · swing

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. swing — music
  3. bore — to drill
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — the fruit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bore — to tire
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. swing — to play on
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. pass — a permit
  15. capital — money
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. swing — in golf
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bore — gave birth

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