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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 116 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: capital · track · mine · patient · pass · chair · spell · pit

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. track — a song
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. capital — a city
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. chair — a leader
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. track — a path
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. spell — magic
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — money
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. mine — for digging
  18. spell — a short time
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. track — to keep track
  24. mine — belonging to me

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