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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: ground · band · march · charge · root · stand · mug · bear

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. stand — to bear
  3. march — music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mug — a face
  6. charge — a price
  7. ground — a position
  8. band — a music group
  9. ground — the earth
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. mug — a cup
  12. band — a ring
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. root — the cause
  15. ground — crushed
  16. root — of a word
  17. charge — in control
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. root — of a plant
  21. charge — electricity
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. stand — on your feet

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