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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.

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: court · scale · stem · patient · wax · pitch · pound · march

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. stem — to come from
  6. scale — in music
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. march — the month
  9. scale — size or range
  10. court — of law
  11. court — of a king
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. march — music
  18. wax — to grow
  19. court — for sport
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. march — the month
  24. pound — to hit hard

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