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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: cabinet · bay · spring · key · march · squash · patient · capital

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. spring — of water
  3. capital — a city
  4. squash — the sport
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. march — the month
  8. spring — the season
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. march — music
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. squash — to crush
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. key — in music
  17. capital — money
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. key — the most important part
  21. march — the month
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. spring — a coil
  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