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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 · jam · season · fine · fork · rock · key · wax

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. key — the most important part
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. season — in sport
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. key — in music
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. fork — in a road
  11. wax — to grow
  12. fine — all right
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. rock — a stone
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. key — for a lock
  19. season — of the year
  20. fine — high quality
  21. rock — music
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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