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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.

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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: band · coach · pit · suit · chest · arm · stock · craft

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pit — in a race
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. craft — a skill
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. band — a ring
  9. chest — of your body
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chest — a box
  12. suit — to fit
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. band — a music group
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. craft — boats
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pit — a hole
  21. suit — clothes
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — goods

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