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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: hide · chair · pitcher · stand · cue · charge · capital · wave

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. charge — a price
  3. capital — a city
  4. cue — a signal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. charge — in control
  17. cue — for pool
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stand — to bear
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. capital — money
  24. chair — a leader

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