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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · root · ground · band · board · leaves · stand · deal

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. stand — to bear
  3. band — a music group
  4. spell — magic
  5. ground — the earth
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. deal — to handle
  9. root — of a word
  10. board — to get on
  11. band — a ring
  12. ground — a position
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. root — the cause
  15. spell — letters
  16. board — a committee
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. spell — a short time
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. ground — crushed
  24. root — of a plant

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