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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.

Make a worksheet

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: charge · capital · ball · patient · bark · pound · kick · rush

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. ball — a dance
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rush — hurry
  10. charge — electricity
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. charge — a price
  14. capital — a city
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. capital — money
  18. pound — a weight
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. kick — in football
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bark — to shout
  23. charge — in control
  24. ball — a great time

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