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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: bear · capital · ruler · coach · pit · band · charge · face

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. capital — a city
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. band — a ring
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. charge — a price
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. charge — in control
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bear — the animal
  18. band — a music group
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. face — to confront
  21. bear — the animal
  22. capital — money
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. capital — a big letter

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