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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
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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: patient · cabinet · track · capital · wake · key · chair · mark

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mark — a grade
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. track — to keep track
  5. capital — a city
  6. key — for a lock
  7. track — a path
  8. key — the most important part
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. chair — a leader
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. track — a song
  15. mark — a trace
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. capital — money
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. key — in music
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. wake — a trail

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