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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: track · patient · chair · bulb · board · capital · prune · sharp

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. sharp — clever
  3. board — to get on
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. track — to keep track
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. capital — money
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. track — a song
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bulb — for light
  21. track — a path
  22. chair — a leader
  23. capital — a city
  24. board — a committee

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