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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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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: drill · stand · deal · suit · kid · prune · mouse · land

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. suit — to fit
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. land — to come down
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. prune — to trim
  14. drill — a practice
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — to tease
  19. suit — clothes
  20. prune — to trim
  21. drill — army training
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. deal — to handle
  24. drill — the tool

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