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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: coach · band · net · stock · last · racket · plane · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stock — goods
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. net — in sport
  6. last — final
  7. plane — a tool
  8. last — to go on
  9. band — a music group
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. last — finally
  13. band — a ring
  14. net — after costs
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. stock — shares
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. net — for catching
  24. coach — a trainer

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