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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 · capital · bay · net · dip · safe · pass · track

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  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. dip — to dunk
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. net — for catching
  9. track — to keep track
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. net — in sport
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. capital — money
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. net — after costs
  22. pass — a permit
  23. dip — to sink
  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