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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: arm · root · deal · fall · band · stick · ground · fine

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. fine — high quality
  3. band — a music group
  4. ground — a position
  5. deal — to handle
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. ground — the earth
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fine — all right
  13. root — of a plant
  14. ground — crushed
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. fall — to drop
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. fall — the season
  19. root — of a word
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. root — the cause
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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