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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: coach · capital · pound · charge · stick · staff

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. charge — electricity
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. staff — employees
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. charge — a price
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — a city
  10. pound — a weight
  11. staff — employees
  12. charge — in control
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. staff — a stick
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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