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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 116 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: game · object · patient · net · suit · prune · wax · cap

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. wax — to grow
  3. net — after costs
  4. prune — to trim
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. object — to protest
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. net — for catching
  9. object — an aim
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. prune — to trim
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cap — of ice
  17. object — a thing
  18. game — wild animals
  19. suit — clothes
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. suit — to fit
  22. game — a match
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — a lid

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