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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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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 · court · bank · deal · field · bear · stand · firm

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. firm — a company
  3. drill — the tool
  4. court — for sport
  5. bear — the animal
  6. court — of a king
  7. drill — army training
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. court — of law
  13. bank — for money
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. field — a subject
  16. firm — steady
  17. field — for sport
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. drill — a practice
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. firm — decided
  24. field — farmland

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