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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: wax · current · bass · track · content · patient · game · mark

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. current — of water
  3. track — a path
  4. game — a match
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mark — a trace
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. content — happy
  10. track — a song
  11. mark — a grade
  12. wax — to grow
  13. content — the amount
  14. track — to keep track
  15. current — electric
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. current — happening now
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bass — low music
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. mark — to pay attention

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