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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: dip · last · ball · deal · stand · foot · hand · ground

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. foot — a measure
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ground — a position
  6. deal — to handle
  7. last — finally
  8. stand — to bear
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. last — final
  11. ball — a dance
  12. dip — to sink
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. ground — the earth
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. last — to go on

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