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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · stand · deal · band · court · bore · bulb · kick

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. court — for sport
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. season — in sport
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bore — to drill
  8. band — a music group
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. season — of the year
  11. court — of law
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. court — of a king
  16. bulb — for light
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — in football

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