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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: patient · fine · wax · net · track · bound · pit · roll

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. wax — to grow
  3. net — after costs
  4. roll — a list
  5. track — to keep track
  6. pit — a hole
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. roll — a cake
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. track — a path
  12. track — a song
  13. bound — certain
  14. net — for catching
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bound — tied together
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bound — obliged
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. net — in sport
  24. roll — on a roll

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