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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 · net · rule · scale · saw · track · club · patient

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. rule — government
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. net — in sport
  7. club — for dancing
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. track — to keep track
  10. scale — in music
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. club — a group
  13. rule — a law
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. track — a path
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. track — a song
  18. saw — the tool
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. club — for golf
  21. net — after costs
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. scale — size or range

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