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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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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: cell · capital · bear · charge · row · pound

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. charge — a price
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. cell — a phone
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. capital — money
  9. row — a line
  10. bear — the animal
  11. row — to paddle
  12. capital — a city
  13. pound — a weight
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. charge — in control

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