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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: hand · capital · pound · charge · stick · patient · leaves · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. hand — help
  3. capital — a city
  4. ground — the earth
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. hand — in cards
  10. charge — a price
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. charge — in control
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. charge — electricity
  16. ground — crushed
  17. capital — money
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — a weight
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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