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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 120 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: stand · drill · rash · ground · pound · rock · deal · prune

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rash — hasty
  3. pound — a weight
  4. drill — a practice
  5. rash — a series
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. rock — a stone
  8. ground — the earth
  9. drill — the tool
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. deal — to handle
  14. ground — a position
  15. drill — army training
  16. rock — music
  17. ground — crushed
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — to bear
  24. prune — to trim

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