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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: spring · bay · patient · jam · fine · safe · capital · key

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. spring — the season
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. spring — of water
  7. capital — money
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fine — high quality
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. capital — a city
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. fine — all right
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. key — the most important part
  18. spring — a coil
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — in music
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. patient — a sick person

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