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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: branch · charge · wake · land · capital · coach · foot · scale

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. branch — a division
  4. capital — money
  5. land — ground
  6. charge — a price
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. charge — electricity
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — in music
  12. foot — a measure
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. land — to come down
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. charge — in control
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. wake — a trail
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. capital — a city
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. land — a country
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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