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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: foot · staff · stock · bass · arm · coach · track · patient

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. track — a path
  4. staff — employees
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. stock — shares
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. track — to keep track
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — goods
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. track — a song
  21. bass — low music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. foot — the bottom

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