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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 116 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: coach · bark · charge · scale · safe · capital · shower · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. charge — in control
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. shower — to wash
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. charge — electricity
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. court — of a king
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. shower — rain
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. scale — in music
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. capital — money
  20. court — of law
  21. charge — a price
  22. bark — to shout
  23. scale — size or range
  24. capital — a city

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