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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: charge · capital · craft · wax · vault · board · bat · mug

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. craft — boats
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bat — the animal
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — a face
  9. charge — electricity
  10. wax — to grow
  11. capital — money
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a committee
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. craft — a skill
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. charge — in control
  23. mug — to rob
  24. vault — a safe

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