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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 · patient · bass · pop · file · vault · coach · track

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. track — a path
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bass — low music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. pop — soda
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. file — a document
  13. vault — a safe
  14. foot — a measure
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. file — a line of people
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. file — a tool
  24. bass — the fish

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