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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: bear · calf · ground · stand · cue · foot · band · toast

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bear — the animal
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ground — crushed
  6. band — a music group
  7. bear — the animal
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. cue — a signal
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. ground — a position
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. ground — the earth
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. toast — bread
  21. cue — a hint
  22. band — a ring
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. cue — for pool

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