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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 120 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: current · board · straw · capital · charge · arm · coach · fork

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. board — to get on
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. charge — in control
  9. board — a committee
  10. charge — a price
  11. fork — in a road
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. current — of water
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. current — electric
  17. current — happening now
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. charge — electricity
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. arm — part of the body

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