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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: wave · cell · scale · prune · pop · net · pit · patient

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. scale — size or range
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cell — in biology
  5. pop — music
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pop — soda
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. cell — a phone
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. scale — in music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. scale — for weighing

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