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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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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: band · suit · stick · stand · kid · ground · net · deal

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. kid — child
  3. ground — crushed
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. band — a ring
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. net — for catching
  9. ground — a position
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. net — in sport
  12. ground — the earth
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. suit — to fit
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. band — a music group
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. deal — to handle
  21. net — after costs
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. suit — clothes

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