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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
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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: trunk · roll · charge · capital · club · cue · hand · vault

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. roll — a list
  3. charge — electricity
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for dancing
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. charge — a price
  10. hand — in cards
  11. capital — money
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. club — for golf
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. charge — in control
  16. vault — a safe
  17. cue — a signal
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. cue — for pool
  21. hand — help
  22. cue — a hint
  23. capital — a city
  24. hand — part of the body

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