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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: stock · calf · rush · foot · patient · march · season · arm

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. stock — shares
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. foot — a measure
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. march — the month
  11. stock — goods
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. season — of the year
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. march — the month
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. march — music
  24. stock — a soup base

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