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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
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: last · saw · track · patient · bear · capital · key · club

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. last — to go on
  3. saw — the tool
  4. track — a song
  5. capital — money
  6. bear — the animal
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. last — finally
  10. club — for golf
  11. last — final
  12. capital — a city
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. club — a group
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. saw — the tool
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. track — a path
  20. club — for dancing
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. track — to keep track
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bear — the animal

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