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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: pop · trunk · net · stand · patient · march · arm · land

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. land — a country
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. net — after costs
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. march — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. march — the month
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. net — for catching
  16. land — to come down
  17. pop — music
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stand — to bear
  20. march — the month
  21. net — in sport
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. land — ground
  24. pop — to visit

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