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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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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: staff · calf · suit · ground · deal · roll · capital · stand

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. ground — a position
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. staff — employees
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. capital — money
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. roll — a list
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. suit — in cards
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. capital — a city
  17. roll — a cake
  18. stand — to bear
  19. ground — the earth
  20. staff — a stick
  21. suit — to fit
  22. deal — to handle
  23. staff — employees
  24. ground — crushed

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