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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 120 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: wave · can · patient · scale · race · board · wake · field

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. field — a subject
  7. board — a committee
  8. race — humankind
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. can — a tin
  13. wake — a trail
  14. scale — in music
  15. field — for sport
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. field — farmland
  19. can — to be able to
  20. race — a contest
  21. board — to get on
  22. can — a tin
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. race — the arms race

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