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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: mate · charge · wave · present · capital · pitcher · coach · rush

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  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. wave — of the sea
  2. charge — in control
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. charge — a price
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. mate — a partner
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. present — there
  10. rush — hurry
  11. capital — a city
  12. mate — a friend
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. present — a gift
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. present — the time now
  23. coach — a trainer
  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