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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: rock · key · charge · land · capital · coach · club · face

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. land — ground
  3. face — part of the head
  4. charge — a price
  5. key — for a lock
  6. club — a group
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. land — to come down
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. charge — electricity
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. capital — money
  13. club — for golf
  14. key — in music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. land — a country
  17. face — to confront
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rock — music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. face — to point toward
  22. charge — in control
  23. capital — a city
  24. rock — to move gently

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