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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: coach · perch · bound · wax · capital · fine · jam · charge

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. charge — a price
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bound — certain
  9. charge — electricity
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. capital — money
  12. bound — obliged
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. charge — in control
  16. fine — high quality
  17. capital — a city
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bound — tied together

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