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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 120 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: content · bank · wax · pop · perch · swing · patient · track

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. swing — in golf
  3. pop — to visit
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. track — to keep track
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. content — the amount
  11. swing — to play on
  12. perch — the fish
  13. content — happy
  14. track — a path
  15. pop — music
  16. track — a song
  17. pop — soda
  18. bank — for money
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wax — to grow
  21. swing — music
  22. bank — of a river
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bank — for money

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