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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: mark · coach · stick · spring · capital · chest · charge · cap

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. charge — a price
  3. spring — the season
  4. capital — money
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — in control
  10. capital — a city
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — a trace
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chest — a box
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. spring — a coil
  19. chest — of your body
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. spring — of water

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