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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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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: fan · patient · swing · capital · pass · tear · key · cue

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a city
  4. tear — to rip
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. cue — a hint
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. swing — music
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. swing — to play on
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. pass — a permit

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