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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · season · chest · leaves · court · cap · fine · key

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. chest — a box
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — a lid
  7. key — in music
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of law
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. season — of the year
  19. chest — of your body
  20. cap — of ice
  21. court — of a king
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. season — in sport
  24. chest — of your body

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