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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: charge · patient · date · fall · calf · content · vault · capital

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. capital — a city
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. charge — electricity
  5. fall — to drop
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — the fruit
  12. fall — the season
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. fall — to drop
  15. charge — a price
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. vault — a safe
  20. charge — in control
  21. content — happy
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. capital — money

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