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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: bulb · coach · bat · pitcher · capital · club · charge · saw

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. club — for golf
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. charge — in control
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. capital — a city
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. charge — a price
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for dancing
  24. capital — money

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