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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: patient · chair · deal · can · march · bass · stock · calf

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. can — a tin
  3. march — the month
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — low music
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stock — goods
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bass — the fish
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. march — the month
  15. chair — a leader
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. march — music
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. can — to be able to

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