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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: pass · capital · track · plane · patient · chair · bay · fan

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. track — a song
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. chair — a leader
  6. track — a path
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. track — to keep track
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. capital — money
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pass — a permit
  23. capital — a city
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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