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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: deal · stand · net · march · last · key · suit · kid

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. net — in sport
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. suit — in cards
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. net — after costs
  9. march — the month
  10. key — in music
  11. stand — to bear
  12. last — finally
  13. suit — clothes
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. last — final
  18. kid — child
  19. net — for catching
  20. last — to go on
  21. suit — to fit
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. stand — for spectators

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