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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: charge · bear · cold · stem · mug · bore · capital · court

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. capital — a city
  5. mug — a face
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mug — a cup
  9. charge — in control
  10. bore — to drill
  11. court — of law
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — an illness
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. charge — a price
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. charge — electricity
  22. capital — money
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bore — to tire

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