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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: track · capital · coach · foot · charge · vault · bark · staff

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — a city
  3. staff — employees
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. vault — a safe
  6. charge — a price
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. staff — employees
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. capital — money
  15. charge — in control
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bark — to shout
  19. track — a path
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. charge — electricity
  24. foot — a measure

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