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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.

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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: charge · branch · file · coach · capital · swing · racket · cue

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. file — a line of people
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cue — a hint
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. cue — for pool
  9. file — a document
  10. branch — a division
  11. capital — money
  12. file — a tool
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. charge — in control
  15. capital — a city
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. cue — a signal
  24. swing — to play on

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