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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: rash · swing · capital · jam · wax · wake · track · patient

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. track — a path
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. swing — in golf
  9. wake — a trail
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. swing — music
  18. rash — a series
  19. capital — a city
  20. wax — to grow
  21. rash — hasty
  22. capital — money
  23. swing — to play on
  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