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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: patient · wax · safe · charge · bound · mouse · capital · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. capital — a city
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. capital — money
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bound — obliged
  13. charge — a price
  14. bound — tied together
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bound — certain
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. charge — electricity
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. charge — in control
  24. mouse — the animal

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