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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: mark · patient · coach · rock · lean · hide · bass · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bass — low music
  5. stock — shares
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rock — music
  8. lean — thin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rock — a stone
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bass — the fish
  15. lean — to bend
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mark — a trace
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. hide — animal skin

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