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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
468
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 · row · dip · cue · charge · patient · date · march

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. cue — for pool
  3. row — to paddle
  4. march — music
  5. charge — electricity
  6. row — a line
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. charge — a price
  10. date — the fruit
  11. march — the month
  12. cue — a signal
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. capital — a city
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. march — the month
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. cue — a hint
  21. capital — money
  22. charge — in control
  23. dip — to sink
  24. capital — a big letter

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