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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: capital · patient · pound · wax · charge · race

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — a contest
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. charge — in control
  10. capital — a city
  11. pound — a weight
  12. charge — electricity
  13. race — humankind
  14. wax — to grow
  15. capital — money
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. charge — a price
  18. wax — in the ear

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