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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: bass · wound · land · arm · coach · can · stem · stand

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bass — low music
  5. wound — an injury
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. can — a tin
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. can — to be able to
  13. land — ground
  14. can — a tin
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. land — a country
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. land — to come down
  23. stem — to come from
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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