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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.

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: safe · key · arm · fork · track · rash · patient · capital

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. key — for a lock
  5. rash — a series
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. capital — money
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rash — hasty
  13. fork — in a road
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — a city
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. key — the most important part
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. key — in music
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. track — a path

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