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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.

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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: jam · cap · key · net · patient · leaves · sharp · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. sharp — clever
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. net — after costs
  9. key — for a lock
  10. cap — a lid
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. net — for catching
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. cap — a hat
  16. board — to get on
  17. cap — of ice
  18. net — in sport
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. key — in music
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. key — the most important part

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