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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 120 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: mark · spring · capital · pass · patient · pitch · branch · charge

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. charge — a price
  5. capital — money
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. spring — a coil
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pitch — completely
  14. spring — of water
  15. mark — a grade
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — electricity
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pass — a permit
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. spring — the season

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