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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: kick · scale · fall · net · march · patient · game · wave

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fall — the season
  7. game — wild animals
  8. kick — in football
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. scale — size or range
  14. game — a match
  15. march — music
  16. net — for catching
  17. fall — to drop
  18. net — in sport
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. scale — in music
  22. fall — to drop
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. net — after costs

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