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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
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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: capital · charge · date · court · stem · pass · wax · pound

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. stem — to come from
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — a weight
  6. court — for sport
  7. charge — electricity
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. court — of a king
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. wax — to grow
  14. date — the fruit
  15. charge — in control
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. pass — a permit
  20. capital — money
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. capital — a city
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. charge — a price

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