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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 116 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: drill · ground · bound · charge · hand · fan · fine · stand

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hand — help
  3. charge — a price
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bound — obliged
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. charge — electricity
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. charge — in control
  13. fine — all right
  14. bound — tied together
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. drill — army training
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bound — certain
  20. hand — in cards
  21. ground — a position
  22. drill — a practice
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. drill — the tool

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