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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.

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: bowl · charge · capital · mouse · patient · kick

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. capital — money
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. charge — in control
  17. capital — a city
  18. kick — with a leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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