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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: deal · calf · file · key · club · patient · safe · jam

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. key — in music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. club — a group
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. file — a document
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. deal — to handle
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. club — for golf
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. file — a tool
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. club — for dancing
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. file — a line of people
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. key — the most important part
  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