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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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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: pass · game · rush · net · march · patient · dip · safe

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. net — after costs
  3. game — a match
  4. rush — hurry
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. dip — to sink
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. march — the month
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. game — wild animals
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. net — in sport
  22. pass — a permit
  23. net — for catching
  24. pass — to spend time

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