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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stock — goods
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. net — in sport
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stem — to come from
  12. net — after costs
  13. branch — a division
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. net — for catching
  16. stock — shares
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. arm — a part of something

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