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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 · mouse · arm

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

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — in control
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. charge — electricity
  6. staff — employees
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. capital — money
  12. staff — a stick
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. capital — a city
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. staff — employees
  24. mouse — the animal

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