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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: cue · capital · stem · charge · patient · swing

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. cue — for pool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cue — a signal
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stem — to come from
  8. swing — to play on
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. charge — a price
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. swing — music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. capital — a city
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. swing — in golf
  17. charge — in control
  18. cue — a hint

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