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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: cue · track · jam · patient · racket · wax · field · face

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. track — to keep track
  3. cue — for pool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. field — a subject
  8. face — to point toward
  9. track — a song
  10. cue — a hint
  11. wax — to grow
  12. face — part of the head
  13. field — for sport
  14. face — to confront
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. track — a path
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. field — farmland
  22. cue — a signal
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. wax — in the ear

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