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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: degree · cue · capital · court · ruler · charge · track · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. court — for sport
  3. cue — for pool
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — a city
  7. track — a path
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — from a university
  10. charge — electricity
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cue — a hint
  13. capital — money
  14. track — a song
  15. charge — in control
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. court — of law
  18. cue — a signal
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. degree — an amount
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. charge — a price
  23. court — of a king
  24. ruler — a monarch

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