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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: patient · bass · capital · track · lie · chair · date · mate

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. track — a path
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mate — a partner
  8. chair — a leader
  9. lie — to recline
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. track — a song
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bass — the fish
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. mate — a friend
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. track — to keep track

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