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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: patient · game · stem · vault · cue · pound · wax · net

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. net — for catching
  5. cue — for pool
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. game — wild animals
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. net — in sport
  16. cue — a hint
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pound — a weight
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. cue — a signal
  22. net — after costs
  23. stem — to come from
  24. game — a match

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